God Eater - Zenith
by Subzero Dragon
Summary: The life of a God Eater is never easy. Two girls from vastly different backgrounds will learn this the hard way. Amy Hidaka is a slum-born scrap merchant with sharp street savvy. Lillia Akiyama is a girl raised from childhood as a weapon against the Aragami. This is their story of their struggle against the Aragami, and their journey together. (GER timeline with original elements.)
1. Prologue 1: Fenrir's Chosen

_A/N: This story_ _features OCs and original elements as well as the GER story, may not quote the game word-for-word, and certain events may be embellished or slightly changed. It's more a novelization, less a script after all. There may be deaths, violence, swearing, gore, crime, and emotionally traumatic scenes ahead, so don't get triggered! That said, this is my first attempt at a God Eater story. Read up and enjoy~! P.S. Updates may be unpredictable, but I'll try to get one in at least monthly. I'm also a bit OCD about grammar and spelling, so minor updates will be frequent._

 _Prologue 1: Fenrir's "Chosen"_

The Outer Ghetto was a place that thrived in spite of strife. This settlement of the Far East branch of Fenrir was a place often ignored, and for good reason. To an outsider, it was a place plagued with danger and filth as people struggled to survive. To its inhabitants, it was a sanctuary, far better off than those forced to scavenge like rats. Sure, sometimes Fenrir was slow with supplies, sometimes the Outer Wall would be breached by Aragami, and sometimes thieves or scavengers would raid them. To one girl in particular this dirty, wonderful, rugged, tough warren was home, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Everything eighteen year-old Amy Hidaka knew and treasured was here. The violet-haired, dark-eyed, tan-skinned girl was quite striking, but only an idiot could call her vapid or thick. Growing up here, especially as a girl, ingrained an instinctive, well-honed sense of street smarts. One had to be wise and clever to survive here, and Amy knew it better than most. She had to be smarter than the others to avoid getting tricked or robbed, and Amy was quietly proud of her savvy. She worked a shop with her mother, Chidori, selling scraps brought in by the scavengers. Amy was no delicate flower; this rose had thorns.

Then there was Chidori Hidaka. Mother and daughter resembled one another both in appearance and demeanor. Most of the differences where physical: Chidori had sharp, emerald eyes and a lithe, almost cat-like build in contrast to Amy's smaller stature. A former scavenger herself, Chidori was just as clever as any Outer Ghetto resident, and had an equally well-honed sense of the streets. To top it off, Chidori was good at self-defense. _Very_ good. She'd even killed a man or two, or so the rumors said. Amy didn't think it was a valid rumor, but at the same time wouldn't be surprised if it were true. If Amy was a rose with thorns, Chidori was a tiger with teeth; noble but dangerous.

This was Amy's life until one day.

That day was not unlike so many others before; another day of sorting and selling refuse. In the stall where she always worked, Amy was in an argument with a scavenger. He was starting to get really agitated and Amy's danger-sense pricked up.

"You cheating little witch!" The short, barrel-like man roared, "Do you have any fucking idea how _rare_ a working generator engine is!? I demand another seven-thousand fc! In fact," he reached for the generator that he'd slammed onto the table earlier with a vile smirk, "make it ten."

Amy folded her arms, "You know the offer. We pay one hundred fc per pound for steel. That adds up to ten-thousand, five-hundred, and not a credit more! Besides, you haven't even proved that 'generator' works. It looks pretty rusty to me..."

The man's grin turned predatory. "Fine. Thirteen-thousand tops... _and_ a date. Then we'll call it fair, princess."

Amy balked, shooting her most dangerous glare at him. "You think I'm worth only two-thousand five-hundred fc?!" she said with her most sarcastic tone, "I demand at least five for a dirty dog like you."

"Hehe, sold. That's five and a half thousand fc, and a date." The man's lewd grin widened as he produced a transaction card. "The boys won't _believe_ what I've bought today!"

Amy took the card, flashed a sultry grin, then threw it in Barrel Man's face with a sudden scowl. "That was sarcasm, you idiot. Ten-thousand, five-hundred. Final offer." She smirked flippantly, "Unless you'd rather we pay five?"

Barrel Man's face dropped into a stupefied stare. Then, it darkened into a nasty glare. "You really don't get it do you, princess? That's not the way this works, see?" Amy noticed then that two of Barrel Man's men were stalking forward. They were both armed with machetes and wore raptorial grins as they chuckled to each other. Barrel Man smirked, "Eighteen, and my boys _don't_ wear your pretty little head for a trophy."

Amy swallowed hard, but kept her composure. Seeing three armed men try to intimidate her wasn't out of the ordinary here. In fact, just today she had to turn a man away who wouldn't stop staring at her chest. Actually, it was less "turn away" and more like "kick his drunk ass out the door." Literally. But that was just one old street-rat. This was a group of hardened scavengers, not a dirty old man.

Amy took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "You can't threaten me. Don't forget, you're the ones trying to make a decent credit, am I right? Kill me, and you'll be hunted like the dogs you are. If you value what little reputation you have, you'll rethink your threat!" Her words were calm, but her tone was dangerous and edged with a dark hint of intent. Subtle, but serious: that was her way of dealing with men like Barrel Man.

Barrel Man wasn't buying the intimidation for one second. He lunged over the counter, grabbing Amy by her shirt. Caught off guard, she could only yelp in surprise as she was dragged over the counter and pinned. Barrel Man grinned a nasty smile, "Check her out, boys! She's got a mouth on her, this one!"

One of the men with a face that reminded Amy of a rat grinned. "Oy, nice find, Boss. Dis's nice like. Been a loooong time since I'd had any... entertainment!"

"Paws off!" Barrel Man barked at Rat Man, "I get first dibs! Finders keepers, yeah?"

Rat Man's face fell. "Daw, fine den. S'long's I gets a turn at 'er, yeah!"

The third man, a one-eyed man with an eye-patch growled, "Oy, ain't we's be getting out now, boss? Yeh know dis's da Hidaka place, yeah? Dun wanna find out if'n dat Chidori chick is fer real, no."

Barrel Man turned over a shoulder to say something to One-Eye. Amy took the chance to knee Barrel Man between the legs. As he let out an "Oof!" of pain, she punched him in the gut with a sudden right hook. Wheezing, Barrel Man bent over as Amy drew out her knife. It was only half as long as the machetes, but Amy was good at scaring idiots like Barrel Man with it. She just hoped she wouldn't have to get more serious. She hated having to resort to violence, but violence was the language these brutes spoke best...

Rat Man lunged for Amy, but she ducked at the last moment. This left her unable to counter a grab from One-Eye. He pinned her shoulders against his body, lifting her up slightly. Amy heard the zing of a knife being drawn behind her and acted on instinct. Amy shrieked and lashed out with her knife, slashing One-Eye in the stomach. A scream from One-Eye told her that she'd hit home. Holding her stance low, Amy tried to back away towards the counter. Now that she was facing the men again, she could see One-Eye reeling and falling to his knees as he clutched a gash to his stomach. Rat Man and Barrel Man were livid. She could see that the zing she heard was Barrel Man, drawing a machete of his own.

"Shit!" Barrel Man blared, shaking a fist, "You little bitch! I _was_ going to have some fun then let ya go, but now you've pissed me off! I'll kill ya for this!" Barrel Man pointed to Amy, turning over a shoulder to bark an order at his one standing henchman.

Amy took the small opportunity to attempt to vault back over the counter. Rat Man grabbed her by the leg and yanked her to the ground. Amy hit her head on the floor and cried out in surprise. Rat Man dropped his machete, instead opting to slam Amy repeatedly into the floor. Every blow made Amy's vision swim with stars and caused her to scream in pain.

Rat Man seemed to be enjoying the torment, sneering at her. "You like it, yeah?! Dis's fer mah pal, bitch!"

Rat Man grabbed her by the arms and slammed Amy brutally into the counter, making her vision waver and driving the breath from her lungs. Weak and shaky, Amy could only feebly try to roll off the counter and stand. Rat Man punched her again as she stumbled to her feet, this time catching her across the left cheek and spinning her around. She slumped to the ground, unable to defend herself from another sucker-punch, which luckily for her went wild as she fell.

Breathing hard, Amy glared up at her assailants, holding her knife in front of her and baring her teeth like a wild animal. Even in her weak and dizzy state, knowing she was not likely to survive, Amy was determined to defy them to the end. She knew she couldn't allow these men to see her mounting fear. Glaring with feral hate, she spat at Rat Man's face. He clearly wasn't expecting the vulgar counter, and flinched. She saw Barrel Man charge her, blade bared for a stab. Amy only barely managed to roll aside as the man's weapon bit into the cinder-block of the counter.

Rat Man meanwhile, had recovered and was charging in a fury, waving his sword wildly. Barrel Man's own weapon was chipped badly by his frenzied miss. Seeing her one chance, Amy kicked Rat Man in the stomach, then parried Barrel Man's machete with her knife. The larger weapon would've easily overpowered her knife, but the knife caught on the blade's chipped edge and gave her a brief advantage as Barrel Man tried to pull away. Throwing her weight into her strike, she succeeded in making Barrel Man stumble. Instinct took over again, and she drove her knife into Barrel Man's throat. The ringleader's eyes widened as blood sprayed wildly from the wound. With one last glare, she wrenched her knife across his throat, nearly decapitating the murderer. Rat Man rushed over to Barrel Man, shouting "Boss!?" as Amy fell back. Taking advantage of Rat Man's distraction, she sheathed her knife and grabbed the dead One-Eye's machete instead.

"Get out, maggot," she growled, "or I'll carve my name into your corpse!"

Rat Man looked a lot like his namesake upon spotting a cat. Amy just smirked darkly. "I _said_ get out! Or are you frozen there?!"

"You're going nowhere." Amy turned over her shoulder to see Chidori just behind her. She was holding a jack-knife by its point, its aim directed at Rat Man's heart. "You tried to kill my daughter. Now _you_ die instead!"

Rat Man actually squeaked in horror as Chidori flung the knife at him, simultaneously drawing her machete with her free hand. Rat Man spun to flee, but the blade hit him in the back solidly. Rat Man collapsed mid-step and rolled from his own momentum. He tried to scuttle out of the door, but Chidori was upon him like an animal. She drove her sword into the retreating crook's back, earning a roar of agony from the would-be murderer. He slumped to the ground, turning his head to her as he spat up blood.

"S... spare me!" he croaked weakly, "I don't... want to die...!"

"M-mother?!" Amy called, ignoring the man's cry.

Chidori raised a hand, curling it into a fist in a silencing gesture. She strode over to the dying Rat Man and cut his throat with one slash of her machete. Blood gushed from the wound in a spray as he howled one last time in pain. His scream petered out into a gurgle as the woman stood above him.

"No quarter for you. Learn the law of the Ghetto, you cockroach." Chidori said coldly as she turned back to her daughter. The last of Rat Man's life ebbed away as Chidori gave Amy an appraising look. Amy gasped upon seeing her mother covered in blood. The three ruined bodies in the doorway only amplified her fear. She opened her mouth to speak, but all Amy could manage was a rather pitiful squeak of shock.

It was over. The fight had ended, and Amy sighed wearily. All the wild emotions she'd been secreting away during the fight came out at once. Tears started to flow from her face as she stared in stupefied shock. Amy could only stare at the scene before her, shaking uncontrollably. She'd just killed two men, and watched her mother cut down another with absolutely no mercy. Amy knew it was her or them, but was still horrified at her own actions.

"M-m-m-mother... I-I-I'm... s-s-sorry!" Amy sputtered as she tore her eyes away from the horrible scene before her.

Chidori shook her head. "Sorry for living? Don't be. We do as we must..."

"I... _we're_ killers... just like them." Amy sunk to the floor, hugging her knees and cursing herself for breaking down.

Chidori squatted down and gently hugged her daughter close. "That's true, but we killed to protect ourselves. They were going to kill for money and pleasure. Tell me, who's in the right?"

Amy looked up at her mother, hiccuping through a sob. "We are, but-"

"But nothing." Chidori extended a hand to Amy. "Come on. I'll get you to the medic. I have a report to make to the guard corps..."

Amy nodded once quietly, numbly allowing Chidori to pull her to her feet. Still reeling from the assault and her own swirling emotions, she could only follow her mother like a lost puppy. Amy couldn't care less about the fate of the three scavengers, but the fact that it was _she_ who killed two men just now... that was almost more than she could bear.

She was so flustered that she failed to notice a man standing nearby with a clipboard, watching her intently. The raven-haired man pulled his trench coat closer about his shoulders and reexamined his notes again. Sighing to nobody in particular, the man adjusted his sleeve around the implant in his right arm and followed at a distance.

"She's not even a God Eater yet and she's already literally busting heads. I hope Shicksal knows what he's doing, recruiting such dangerous people..."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

The medic started typing away furiously on his tablet, glancing over to Amy periodically. Amy herself sat on a cot in the medical tent, awaiting whatever the doctor was going to say. She didn't particularly care what at the moment. She was still numb from everything earlier.

"She's definitely showing signs of mental shock," the doctor said as he continued to type away, "She also has some injuries to her head: multiple contusions, possible concussion... she'll need to stay here at least for the night."

Chidori drew in a sharp breath. "Is it serious?"

"We don't know yet if-" The doctor was still typing away when he suddenly stopped mid-stroke. He stared at his tablet, then glanced to Amy, then back to his tablet. "Huh... there's a note in her file. It says Fenrir has found her genetic profile to be a match for the God Eater program. She is to be issued a full medical assessment in twenty-four hours." The doctor looked up from his tablet, looking between Amy and Chidori. "I don't know what to say. On one hand, this is fantastic news. Fenrir will happily foot the medical bill, so that's good. On the other hand... she's going to be a God Eater!"

Amy shook her head, snapping out of her stupor suddenly as her eyes widened. She couldn't have heard that right. "What!" she blurted, " _Me_ a God Eater? Are you serious?!"

The medic held out his tablet to Amy. "See for yourself. Its right there: your medical testing showed high compatibility with the P53 Bias Factor." The medic put a comforting hand on Amy's shoulder, "I'm sorry, young Ms. Hidaka. The testing is compulsory for all Fenrir citizens as you know... I had no choice."

Amy was thunderstruck. She kept reading the note over and over, wondering if maybe she'd made some kind of mistake. Her, a God Eater? Was this a cruel joke?! On one hand, this could be the break she had been hoping for. As a God Eater, she'd be able to provide a steady source of income for her mother. She wouldn't have to deal with that risky scrap business ever again.

But thinking of risks, God Eaters were soldiers against the Aragami. _Aragami!_ Those god-like beasts who consumed all and feared nothing but each other... the thought of even seeing one made her break out into a cold sweat. But _fighting_ these creatures, now that worried her to no end!

Chidori was not half so composed. She shot to her feet, grabbing the medic by the collar. "What the hell do you mean by 'God Eater'! Was she chosen?!"

"Ms. Hidaka," the medic croaked, "it's not my choice! I'm sorry!"

Chidori snatched the tablet, dropping the medic, who let out an "Oof!" of pain at the roughness. "This has to be some kind of fuck-up. My daughter cannot be a God Eater! She just _can't_!"

"Did I come at a bad time, perhaps? I can leave and return in a few hours..."

The voice from behind her made Amy turn, flinching when she moved her head too fast. A man not much older than herself was standing in the entryway of the tent. He was a dark-haired, blue-eyed man wearing his shoulder-length hair in a loose ponytail. He was wearing a brown trench coat and black, simply made leather boots. To Amy, he looked out of place, like he didn't quite belong here. That was when she saw the implant on his right wrist.

Now she knew why he seemed so odd: _this_ was a God Eater, here in the flesh! He seemed so human though... To hear it from others, they were supposed to be half-man, half-Aragami people who literally eat other Aragami! Rumors proved to be far more colorful than the truth, she realized. This man looked human enough, and she was relieved to see it first-hand. At least she'd still be human, and that reassurance took the edge off of her anxiety.

Only a little.

Chidori shot her gaze to the newcomer. "You..." That one word carried more menace than anything else she'd said until now.

If the man was intimidated by Chidori, he didn't show it for a second. Instead, he calmly walked over to where Amy sat, still stunned. He glanced down at his clipboard, then looked between the two women. "Which of you is Ms. Amy Hidaka?" He asked simply.

"Who's asking?" Chidori almost growled.

"Of course, my apologies." The man cleared his throat, casting his gaze between the two women again. "I am officer Ryo Hayashi of the Third Unit. I've come to escort Ms. Hidaka to the Far East Branch ASAP."


	2. Prologue 2: Caged Rats

_Prologue: Caged Rats_

 ** _Five years earlier..._**

Wind howled like a lonely wolf in the jagged peaks of the range once known as the Himalayas. Snow and ice tore along the jagged rocks, sweeping a white path through the crags. Nestled between two relatively low-lying foothills, a glint could be seen. If you knew it was there, you could barely see the fortress, though it was covered in tactical snow-paint and nearly invisible in the ice and sleet, and deliberately buried deep in the snow. Even the Aragami, so insatiable that they would happily eat ice to replete their voracious appetites, ignored the outpost. Just as well; it was armed to the teeth with men.

This was Frostpeak Elite Academy, Frostpeak for short, FEA on paper: all names for an upper class training ground for select candidates chosen by Fenrir. Children found to have high projected bias factor compatibility, or those with high projected stats, were sent here to train as soldiers. The childhood of a Frostpeak kid was one of constant training and incessant self-betterment. Most kids played games; these children played games too... war games. Most kids played with balls; these kids wielded guns and swords instead. You might have asked yourself, was this perhaps too far? No; according to Fenrir, quite the contrary. Unorthodox? Yes. Efficient? Also yes. Unnecessarily strict? That depended on who you asked. The children would likely agree, while officials would instead point to Frostpeak's elite status and austere record to justify what they did to the children as "right."

The children chosen for Frostpeak were few, cherry-picked by Fenrir's upper officers, and numbering only fifty total at any given time. When a child "graduated", another took his or her place immediately, as there was a long list of potential candidates. Most children who first came to Frostpeak were barely old enough to hold a gun, usually no older than five years old. The eldest children of Frostpeak were eighteen years old, ready to become God Eaters. Those who left were fine-tuned machines of war, ready to become the finest God Eaters Fenrir had ever produced.

At least, that was their goal. The kids of Frostpeak often had... other opinions.

One such child of Frostpeak was a thirteen year-old girl. Her given name was Lillia Akiyama, but she was known to most in Frostpeak by her codename: Falcon. She was a violet-haired, green-eyed child of Frostpeak, not so different from the other forty-nine of her companions. Unlike them, her father was one of the commanders who ran this facility. As such, she was born and raised here: a weapon from birth. Her position as a commandant's daughter granted her access to extra training and tutoring. She grew skilled under Frostpeak's harsh conditions, but what she gained in battle prowess, she lost in more worldly knowledge. She knew nothing of the world outside the walls, of the squalor and paranoia and desperation that plagued humans outside of Fenrir's banner. All that Falcon knew, she had been taught by videos provided by NORN and by Fenrir's education system. It was not a poor education by any standard, but would not be a substitute for real-world experience. Not that she knew any different. Every day was the same: train, train, train, and train some more. This would be her future until a matching God Arc could be found for her. Until then... more of the same: a dull future punctuated only by her fellow trainees.

Today was a day not unlike so many others before...

 **o-o-o-o-o**

 ** _BANG!_**

Smoke trailed from her gun as the uniform-clad young trainee lifted the barrel of her cannon. Her fierce, green eyes were locked onto the target downrange as she swept a lock of shoulder-length, violet hair out of her eye. Four-hundred and fifty yards. That was quite a goal for a Blast Cannon type gun. The girl was confident that her new bullet would prove both effective and accurate.

"Nice shot, Lillia!" a voice in her headset said cheerily, "Only two inches off dead-center! That's a new record for you!"

Falcon smiled, checking the readout on her scope. The readout confirmed what he had said. Nodding to herself in satisfaction, she replied, "Thank you, Ryo. I only hope Hiroshi agrees..."

"FALCON!" A harsh voice blared in her ear, the volume overloading the speaker, which made it screech loudly and caused her to flinch, "Your damage ratio is too damn _low!_ Even an Ogretail would laugh that off! Are you stupid, soldier?!"

Falcon sighed softly. The shouting man's voice was Hiroshi "Oni" Iwakura, Falcon's superior and commanding officer of the First Brigade of Frostpeak. He was a former soldier, and never let any recruit in Frostpeak forget it for an instant. Oni _did_ have seven years of field experience as a God Eater before retiring here to train recruits like Falcon, but few liked him. Oni was brilliant, and a crack shot with his Sniper Rifle. His tactical prowess was second to none. He excelled in hit-and-run raids against the Aragami nests in the mountains and had many medals to his name. His temper, however, was equally legendary, and his perpetually grumpy demeanor left a lot to be desired...

Falcon was experiencing that latter aspect yet again.

"My apologies, sir," she said as she tried to pacify her furious commander, "I know its damage is low, but-"

" _Why_ must you test my patience?!" Oni shouted back, though not quite so loudly. Falcon could practically see the officer's face redden as it always did when Oni was angry. "If you 'know' what the problem is, don't make dumb-ass mistakes on purpose, idiot! Get in here, _now!_ "

That was the third time today that Oni had accused her of something absurd. Of course the damage ratio was low; it was designed for rapid-fire, not one-shots. She had shown him the recipe beforehand, so she knew that Oni knew full well about that. He could've told her to change the recipe, but he didn't. He was just looking for a reason to bark at her again. Oni was really putting Falcon in a foul mood with his belittlement...

"Sir?" Falcon said carefully, "If I may explain-"

"No more excuses! Get your worthless ass in here, soldier!" Oni roared, "Or are you both stupid _and_ disobedient!?"

"...Sir," Falcon affirmed, "right away, sir." She had to focus hard in order to avoid a sarcastic intone on the last word. She shouldered her gun as she left the range, Oni's growl of disapproval the only sign that he heard her. Falcon resisted the urge to disconnect her headset, instead electing to ignore the unending string of epithets and oaths streaming from the speaker.

As she entered the range's main hall, she could see the boy who spoke on-air when she first made the shot. His name was Ryo "Ocelot" Watanabe. He was a teenage blonde with small, blue eyes and a messy hairdo. He was just two years older than Falcon, but in some ways far more immature. Unlike Falcon, Ocelot saw nothing wrong with speaking his mind, but that habit often got him into quite a bit of trouble. He had come to Frostpeak only three years ago, but was showing a lot of promise. Since Ocelot and Falcon were close in age, they became close friends quickly. Though he was mischievous and whimsical in contrast to her calm but sometimes sassy nature, Falcon secretly enjoyed his antics. He was a welcome comedic break from the ambitious but tedious nature of this place.

Not that humor would help right now with Oni swearing up a storm in their ears. Ocelot was holding his own headset at arm's-length away from him, making a nasty face and flinching at Oni's profanity, which were mostly audible even at that distance.

"Yech," he said, looking up at Falcon, "I haven't heard Oni cuss like that since that time I messed up during drill three times in a row. The hell did you do? He can't be that pissed over bullet damage ratios, can he?"

Falcon sighed, flicking her mike away from her mouth and speaking in a low voice as she placed her training God Arc in a rack by the entrance, "He can and he _is_. That stupid Kongou-brain doesn't even try to find real reasons to give me a hard time anymore... he just makes crap up!" Falcon vented in a huff.

Ocelot looked at Falcon with a worried face, "He's gonna have your head on a platter if he hears you mouth off at him again. Better just grin and pray for the best..."

"That's something coming from the biggest smart-mouth I know!" Falcon replied with a knowing smile, "I've got this. I'll just give him my best 'Yes, sir', 'No, sir' lines and kowtow to him for a bit. He'll browbeat me till he gets tired of me, then send me away to my dorm again. I know the drill by now."

Ocelot nodded his head, "Yeah, you're right. Good thing he loves his ass kissed. I just wish I knew why he gets so damn hot under the collar all the time. He's earned his codename rightly, that's for-"

"FALCON!" Oni's voice roared in her ear again, "I _said,_ get in here, you worthless maggot!"

"Oh crap!" Ocelot's eyes widened as he grabbed Falcon by the shoulders and urged her towards the observation room, "Better go before he goes full Vajra in there. See you later!" He grinned, then darted down the hall towards the community lounge.

That lucky little... Falcon sighed. It was pointless to think like that right now. She had to bite the bullet and face Oni. She followed the gray steel corridors down past the officers' stations and to the observation room. Two nearby officers stared after Falcon, their idle conversation coming to an abrupt halt as she passed by. Falcon knew why they fell silent; they were just as afraid of Oni as she was. He was known to take his anger out on others, and everyone here knew to keep their distance.

Unfortunately for her, Oni seemed to be particularly fixated on her. How lucky.

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Falcon opened the observation room door with a creak. Oni himself was standing with his back to her. He was a thirty-seven year old, dark-eyed, square-faced man with short cropped black hair and a long, handlebar mustache that dangled well below his chin. He was tall, but built like a Kongou, with an attitude to match. He was never seen wearing anything less formal than dress wear, and was fond of displaying all twenty-seven of his medals on his uniform. This ostentatious appearance often lead newcomers to believe he was the facility commandant. He was not, but he certainly acted the part in an iron-fisted, autocratic kind of manner.

"It took you long enough," Oni said with his back still turned, "Shut that damn door." Falcon did as she was told. As she pulled the door shut, she noticed the two officers from earlier retreating down the hall. Falcon would've given anything to join them now.

"Falcon..." Oni slowly turned to Falcon, his hands folded behind his back, "Give me one good reason not to drill your incompetent ass until next week."

Ignoring his profanity, Falcon instead looked him in the eye. "Sir, I've done exactly as you've asked. I'm sorry for under-performing again..."

" _Are_ you now?" Oni asked with a mocking scorn, "Do you know what I have to deal with? Your father demands daily updates, as you're well aware. If it's anything less than perfect, he chews _me_ out! Your incompetence is costing me my reputation!"

Really? _Really?!_ Falcon was starting to lose her patience, but managed kept her anger in check. "Sir, just tell me how I can improve. I want to please Father as much as you do. Sir."

Oni suddenly pounded a fist on the desk, making several papers fly off, "I'm doing you a favor you ingrate! I'm going _easy_ on your ass, so don't press your luck. You may be the commandant's brat, but mark my words: keep pissing me off and I'll make an example of you. I don't give a damn who's watching; you will _not_ keep embarrassing me! Are we clear, _soldier?_ " He added a smirk of authority to his last word.

"Sir, yes, sir." Falcon replied calmly. She learned long ago that to flinch, cry, or talk back even one word would only result in Oni doling out some ridiculous punitive drill.

"Good." Oni's smirk softened to a satisfied sneer as he started to pace, "Now that we understand each other, let's discuss what the hell went on in that range-"

A sudden klaxon made Falcon jump and Oni turn to the loudspeaker instantly. Falcon recognized the alarm pattern; it was long, short, short, long, short: an Aragami attack! It was probably another drill. She knew the announcement would come on any second confirming it...

"Attention in the facility!" a man's voice blared, "This is not a drill! Aragami presence confirmed in the perimeter! All God Eaters report to the South Yard for extermination measures! Repeat, all God Eaters to the South Yard! All non-combat personnel are to report to the Central Shelter ASAP! Repeat, all non-combat personnel, report to the Central Shelter ASAP! Attention in the facility!"

"Damn things," Oni growled in a low voice, drawing his God Arc out of a case in the back of the room, "This conversation will wait. Get your Arc and follow me."

"What! Sir?! My God Arc is ineffective, sir!" She knew her training Arc could not harm the Aragami; her God Arc was just a prototype and had no Oracle Cells infused in it. It had no Predator form and no ability to Devour as Oni's did.

"Just do as you're told for a change, soldier! Move your ass!" Oni charged out of the door, barely sparing the time to bark over his back at her. Falcon spun to follow, grabbing a nearby training Arc out of a rack as she raced to keep up. Oni was far faster than her, being a God Eater as he was. She struggled to keep pace, and wasn't doing so well at it. When they made their way to the South Yard, Oni rushed outside without hesitation. Falcon, meanwhile, hung back and warily looked outside.

Falcon could barely believe her eyes. Just like the announcement said, there were Aragami breaking down the South Wall! They seemed to be a group of polar Ogretails, with one polar Kongou in the mix. The Kongou was blasting the wall with its wind cannons, while multiple Ogretails jumped through the openings made by its assault. Luckily, none of the holes were big enough for the Kongou to... come in through? Falcon watched in shocked horror as the Kongou reached through the hole it made, thrusting its arm and shoulder through the largest breach. It banged and clawed at the inner wall as it tried to break in. Ogretails still left behind roared in protest at the blockade. Trainees scattered in all directions as the Aragami spread out. Some gave chase, while others prowled for prey. Officers and soldiers rushed forward, God Arcs bared as they met the Ogretails in battle. Oni was not among the God Eaters, and Falcon briefly wondered where he was.

Falcon, meanwhile, was frozen at the sight before her. Though she had studied NORN's records extensively, this was the first time she'd seen an Aragami in the flesh, much less advanced breeds like these. She was terrified, no, she was more aghast than afraid. In spite of her constant training, she was absolutely stunned by the viciousness of the Aragami. They were so freaking _huge_ too! Even the "small" Ogretails stood at the hip as tall as a grown man, and that was not even considering that giant Kongou tearing up the wall!

Falcon was so preoccupied with the Kongou that she almost didn't notice that an Ogretail had spotted her. She gasped in surprise as the Aragami turned to her and shrieked a keening roar. The bipedal beast charged low, jaws wide for a lunge. Falcon spun around and fled into the corridor, screaming in terror as its snap fell short. The Ogretail gave chase immediately; she could hear its talons rhythmically crunch in the snow and clack on the concrete. Falcon ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but still only barely managed to rush inside as the beast careened into the doorway. It clanged into the steel structure, vibrating the ceiling and making the walls ring like a bell. Its size prevented the Ogretail from simply running her down, and gave Falcon the time to turn to the creature. Even though Ogretails were among the smallest Aragami, the corridor was still too small for it to enter. For once, Falcon was glad for the nearly claustrophobic nature of the hall. Getting obstructed didn't stop the angry beast from lowering its head through the doorway and snapping its jaws at her in vain. Falcon stumbled as she tried to back-step away and fell on her butt. Luckily, she was already well out of the Ogretail's reach. Falcon flinched and covered her face with an arm as it roared at her, sending flecks of saliva and a torrent of warm breath down the hall. Her ears rang and she was stunned for several seconds as the walls repeated the Ogretail's cry into infinity. Falcon crabbed backwards and stumbled to her feet as she stared at the furious Aragami. She was about to turn and run again when she heard a voice from behind her.

"It's just an Ogretail. Don't tell me you're stupid, disobedient, _and_ a coward!"

Falcon didn't need to look to know that it was Oni. Instead, she continued to back up as the Aragami lunged again. Its body banged into the doorway again, leaving only its head and neck inside. It roared again, snapping its jaws as it vainly tried to force itself inside. She had no choice but to watch as Oni stepped forward, his God Arc at the ready.

"Falcon," he said, readying his Buster Blade, "listen to me carefully. You're no match for a polar Ogretail yet, so follow my directions exactly." Falcon nodded once as Oni continued, "You've been trained as a New-Type God Eater. It's time to show me what you New-Types can do. Get your Arc in gun form and cover me. Your shots won't kill, but they _will_ piss it off. Your job is to bait it, and I'll take it down when it tries to come for you. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." Falcon was surprised by Oni's sudden shift in demeanor. In just a moment, he'd gone from his typical needless anger to a calm, methodical tone. She wasn't sure what to think of this.

Time to focus. There would be time to dwell on this later.

Falcon changed her God Arc to gun form and waited as Oni walked up to the Ogretail. The beast cried out again and lunged one more time. Falcon could see that Oni was far too close; he was about to get eaten! Just as she was about to call out to him, Oni suddenly lashed out with his blade, striking the monster in the face. It roared and fell back slightly, revealing a new wound across the left side of its face. Oni took the chance to rush out into the yard, with Falcon following close behind. He suddenly paused, seeming to be waiting for something. Shaking its head in pain, the Ogretail curled up its tail over its back. Falcon knew this was the pose Ogretails took when they were about to use their ranged attack. There was no way either of them could dodge that from nearly point-blank.

She had to act, _now._

"Oni, look out!" Falcon called, firing her gun. The bullet struck the Ogretail directly on the chest and made it look her way. Oni took the opening and rushed the Ogretail again. Now, Falcon could see why he was hesitating. His God Arc had sprouted a huge set of jaws, which lashed out and bit the Ogretail's right leg. Drawing the blade back, the jaws retracted, but not without tearing a sizable chunk out of the monster's foot. The surprised Aragami fell down as its leg was dragged out from under it, giving them another opening. Falcon saw Oni beginning to glow, the sign of a Level 1 Burst. She knew it wouldn't last long and she had to act fast while Oni was boosted. Falcon rained more of her rapid-fire shots on the Ogretail as Oni rushed forward at the fallen beast. One advantage of her God Arc's lack of Oracle Cells was that she didn't have to worry about OP consumption. On the other hand, her damage would be nil. Falcon could only hope her weakened shots were enough to distract it. Luckily for her, it seemed to be working.

Sort of.

The Ogretail spun to its feet, coiling its tail under it for a pounce. Falcon was unable to react in time as it leaped forward at her. Instead, instinct took over and she panicked. She raised her gun in front of her face, firing one more time. The bullet hit the Ogretail directly in the mouth, and it roared in protest. Its distraction made it crash into the building again, leaving an Ogretail-shaped dent in the steel above the door. The stunned monster fell onto the ground with enough force to crack the concrete and sent a flurry of snow flying in the air. Oni drew his Buster Blade back again, this time readying it for a devastating charged attack. The half-dazed Ogretail responded by flailing its legs, making it spin in circles as it scrambled to right itself. Oni slammed his God Arc into the Ogretail's neck, dealing a blow that would have easily severed the spinal cord of a normal creature. All this blow did to the Aragami was to nearly decapitate it. The Ogretail screamed in pain and rolled to its feet again. Its head was dangling somewhat askew, but it was still standing.

Falcon shuddered unconsciously at the distressing sight and was forced to brace against a wall. She knew that Aragami lacked organs like a heart or a brain. Blows like this were completely survivable for them. Even so, the sight of the nearly headless creature still raring to attack disturbed Falcon to no end! Oni showed no such emotion, instead taking one last swing at the Ogretail's body. His strike carved a deep gash in its front, and the creature finally collapsed to the ground with one last roar. Oni's God Arc transformed again into its Predator form. With a single lunge, Oni tore out the Aragami's core as the Ogretail already began to dissolve into its component Oracle Cells.

"Falcon. Come here."

Falcon nodded once, striding up to Oni nervously. "S-sir," she affirmed, then became embarrassed at her own nervousness. Oni was probably going to tell her off for being a "coward" or something...

Oni kicked at the limp form of the Aragami, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You did well, kid. Keep this up and you'll be a God Eater to make Frostpeak proud."

She was so stunned that words failed her for several seconds. "Glad to hear it, sir," Falcon replied with genuine appreciation. As strange as it was to see Oni like this, it was a good kind of strange. She heard another roar, not from an Ogretail, and looked over to the main breach in the wall. The Kongou was running at full-tilt away from the complex, the remaining few Ogretails in close pursuit. Some of the God Eaters were firing at the retreating Aragami in an attempt to drive them further off. The other God Eaters were cleaning up, devouring the Ogretails that had fallen.

 _You did well, kid. Keep this up and you'll be a God Eater to make Frostpeak proud._

She smiled on remembering Oni's rare praise. Hoisting her God Arc over a shoulder, she scouted for other enemies. She did _not_ want to get ambushed again. Besides, there was no telling when Oni would go back to his usual nasty self. Better to take advantage of his unusually good mood...

"What the hell are you standing there for?!" Oni barked over his shoulder, "Stop your gawking and get your ass in gear, soldier! We still have one hell of a cleanup job to do! Move it!"

 _"_ _Sir, right away sir," she affirmed with a small sigh. Oni was back to his mean personality again. She liked his other personality better. Falcon followed her superior back into the complex, her good mood diminished. There was a_ _lot_ _of work to do..._


	3. Chapter 1: New Beginnings

_New Beginnings_

"Are you ready to leave, Ms. Amy Hidaka? We could get you some proper treatment at Fenrir..."

Amy was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to care what the God Eater who called himself Ryo Hayashi was saying. She swung her legs back and forth idly from her perch on the edge of the cot, glaring down at the dirt floor with numb malcontent. How could this man possibly understand? He was a God Eater for crying out loud! A _warrior!_ Killing was in his blood, his training, his very nature! This Ryo character was a veteran, and she was but a rookie. No, she was not even a rookie yet. Amy was but a fledgling, not even ready for the field, and she was not even given the choice to refuse.

Whose damn idea was it to make her a God Eater anyway?!

Amy was still reeling from what happened back at the shop, where she killed two scavengers and watched her mother cut down a third. It wasn't her first encounter with violence; she'd dealt with minor scuffles and fisticuffs on a near-daily basis. But she was no hero. She was just a merchant, not a soldier!

"Leave her the hell alone, _God Eater._ She's hurt and in shock, you ass!" Chidori scolded, her voice gaining a dangerous edge, "I won't let you take her! Not like this!"

Ryo sighed softly, putting a hand on Chidori's shoulder. "Chidori-"

"Don't touch me!" The dark-skinned merchant slapped his hand off, causing Ryo to recoil and blink in surprise. "And it's Ms. Hidaka to _you!_ "

Ryo paused, pulling back calmly. "...Ms. Hidaka. I don't mean to sound rude, but I must get her to Fenrir as soon as possible, for her sake. Please understand..."

Chidori narrowed her eyes at Ryo, searching the God Eater's dark eyes for any sign of duplicity. If Ryo was intimidated by Chidori's glare, he didn't show it. Instead, he calmly stared right back at her with an unreadable expression on his face. After several long moments, Chidori sighed. "I don't trust you, but I don't have the choice to say no, do I." It was a sharp statement, not a question.

Ryo ran a hand through his hair. "Ms. Hidaka, may I continue? I'm trying to explain."

"Just say it then!" She barked.

Ryo did not react to Chidori's anger, instead continuing, "Your daughter is in need of immediate treatment. She is due for compatibility testing in forty-eight hours. If she is in this condition, the test will fail. Do you know what happens when candidates fail, Ms. Hidaka?" Ryo paused, continuing when Chidori only glared, "They die. I only have your daughter's best interests in mind, believe me. Let me help her."

"They... die?" Amy's eyes widened at the unexpected news. The price of failure is _death_? Really?! If she was just uneasy before, now she was genuinely scared.

Chidori said nothing more to Ryo, opting to shoot him another death-stare. She turned to Amy instead. "Don't listen to that God Eater, Amy. I believe in you."

"Mother..." Amy looked up at Chidori, "I... I'm scared. How do you know I'll make it? I don't want to die!"

"Amy, I'm not going to lie to you; there's a real chance you might die. Why do you think I don't want to let you go?" Chidori turned her head away, tears of frustration rolling down her face. "Selfishly, I'd floor this God Eater and take you far away from here. We'd find another place to live, start anew. Maybe we'd be better off as scavengers..." She frowned and shook her head, looking back up at Amy, "Fuck me. That's just a passing thought, and I know it. I just hate being so damn powerless!"

"Your daughter will be in the best hands, Ms. Hidaka. I'll personally oversee her initiation. I'll ensure she has only the best chance of survival."

Chidori put her hands on Amy's shoulders, ignoring the God Eater, "Amy, promise you'll visit me."

"I promise." Amy said simply.

"It's a promise then." Chidori smiled, thumping Amy on the back cordially, "I promise I'll visit you too. I don't give a damn who I have to throttle to do it!" Amy smiled, knowing her mother was mostly just mouthing off again.

Mostly.

"You won't need to hurt anyone, Ms. Hidaka," Ryo said, earning another nasty glare out of Chidori, "I'll ensure you and all of your family have full visitation rights."

Chidori rolled her eyes dramatically, "Really then. Hmph. So you say. Fine, whatever. Not like I could change a damn thing if you said no, huh." She turned back to Amy. "Do me proud out there. I'm cheering for you, my daughter..." Chidori smiled, but it was a bitter smile devoid of happiness. Amy could tell her mother was hiding her true emotions, as she often did when stressed or upset. Chidori smiled, more genuinely this time, and hugged Amy close. As she embraced her, she said, "You'll do great, Amy. You're _my_ daughter after all. Now, go kick some Aragami ass! Bring your mother a trophy sometime, okay?" Amy could only nod, desperately holding back a wave of tears.

"I hate to sound impatient, but we must leave for Fenrir ASAP. Are you prepared, young Ms. Hidaka?"

Amy looked over Chidori's back at Ryo, slowly pulling away. "Amy. Just Amy."

"Of course, Amy. Feel free to call me Ryo or Hayashi, whichever you feel comfortable with. Or even Fafnir, but that's my codename."

"How about 'asshole?'" Chidori smiled flippantly. Ryo's only reply to that was a smirk of his own and Amy had to bite her lip to stop a giggle.

"Codename?" Amy asked, "Why do we need that?"

"You'll probably want to consider a codename yourself. You aren't the only 'Amy' in Fenrir. Think of it as your Fenrir name."

 _Yeah, well I'm not feeling very creative right now, "Fafnir."_ She stood up slowly, making her way to her mother again, who was standing by the entrance of the medical tent and staring outside.

Chidori smiled slightly and put a hand on Amy's shoulder, pointing to the sky. "Look, Amy. Birds. You don't see many animals anymore..." Amy followed her mother's point, and saw a small flock of six birds overhead. The large, black animals were clearly ravens. They circled about briefly before wheeling off into the distance somewhere.

"They're not so different from us, are they?" Chidori asked, a wistful look on her face. "They are weak and vulnerable alone, but in flocks, they show their strength. They pillage and steal as often as forage and hunt, not giving a damn if it's 'right' or 'wrong' and only caring if they eat or not. They're the last survivors of a dying race, looking for a way to survive... just like us."

Amy looked back to Ryo, who had come up behind her. "I'm as ready as I'll get, Fafnir."

"So, 'Fafnir' it is, hm?" his tone was now one of amusement, "You don't need to call me that. You aren't a God Eater just yet, Amy."

"I'll be one tomorrow, right? I better get used to it," she answered, "Besides, I think I have an idea of what I want my codename to be."

"Oh yeah?" Chidori asked, "What's the name?"

Amy turned back to her mother, who was looking at Amy expectantly, then back after the ravens. To do whatever it takes to live... that was what survival meant. Even to give up her freedom, her past, her very humanity; this was the price of living in this world, right? That was the price _she_ was about to pay. She knew what her codename was now.

She took a deep breath and nodded once. "Raven. Raven is my new name."

 **o-o-o-o-o**

 _The next day..._

Raven stood at the far end of the room, pulling at her Fenrir uniform uneasily. This was it. The initiation, Fafnir called it? Raven took her surroundings in warily, feeling like a caged animal. The room was large, and held several platforms of various heights. She wondered briefly what these were for. The iron-clad walls and floors were thick with signs of fierce combat; sword gouges, bullet holes, even claw-like slashes riddled the walls. _Who could possibly have done this? Is this what a God Eater is capable of? What_ _ **I**_ _will be capable of?_ Raven's mind went wild at the thought.

The thing that held her attention the most was the bizarre machine in the center of the room. The vice-like device stood easily as tall as she was and held something long and heavy-looking cradled in the middle. A divot in the right-hand side looked like someone could stick their wrist inside of it, if they were so inclined. Somehow, the sight of this machine made Raven shudder and break out into a cold sweat.

"Terribly sorry to have kept you waiting. Allow me to bid you welcome. This is humanity's final fortress. The stalwart bastion of Fenrir," an unfamiliar man's voice boomed over a loudspeaker, "You have been chosen as a God Eater..."

 _Tell me something I_ _ **don't**_ _know, mister._ Amy sighed to herself, her attention on that machine again as the man's announcement continued. Her mind was abuzz with the thoughts of what was happening today. Fafnir told her what to expect: an aptitude test for God Arc compatibility, whatever that meant. Supposedly, this test was simple, but critical. Pass, and become a God Eater, an elite soldier of Fenrir. Fail, and die. The outcomes were simple but nerve-wracking. No, it was more than merely nerve-wracking...

This was fucking _terrifying!_

"...When you're ready, please place your wrist within the device in the center of the room."

 _This is it. Time to bite the bullet, Amy..._ Raven took a deep breath and approached the machine. When she came within arm's-length of it, she could now see what was inside the device. A sword of some kind was laying in the cradle. The hilt was seated in such a way that if Raven were to put her hand in the divot, her hand would be resting on it.

 _This must be a God Arc._

She remembered Fafnir warning her that this was the most dangerous part of the aptitude test. He wouldn't tell her why it was dangerous or what to be concerned about though, just to relax and let the test happen. He'd told her that her success rate was projected at 97.6 percent success, so that was good... but it also meant a 3.4 percent failure chance. No pressure.

Whatever it takes... right?

 _Hell with it. Here I go..._

Raven took a deep breath to steady her nerves and put her hand in the machine. After several tense moments, nothing happened. Raven sighed out the breath she'd been holding. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad...

 _Oh SHIT!_

Just as relief came over her, the top of the device slammed into her, pinning her to the machine. She could feel something being pressed into her wrist with a horrible burning sensation. Raven screamed and cursed, pulling against the machine. The machine only clamped onto her for a few seconds. When it released her, Raven was still yanking and pulling on her arm in desperation. Her struggle popped her loose from the vice and sent her on her butt. She glared at the machine and flipped the bird at it in frustration and pain. As she did so, she could see she now had a device of some sort on her right wrist. She stared at it in surprise.

 _The hell is this thing?_

"Good," the man's voice continued, "but your test is not yet over. Please pick up the sword to verify your match."

 _My "match?" What is this, a matchmaking or an aptitude test?_ Raven glared up at the windows above the facility where she could see the silhouettes of some people. Were they watching her? Whatever. She turned back to that damn machine. The sword had tumbled out of its cradle and landed on the floor. Now that she got a good look at it, Raven could see that the sword was huge, bigger than she was! How the hell could she pick the thing up?! It was obviously too heavy... Now distrustful _and_ dubious, she gingerly reached for the sword. To her surprise, she found she could lift it one-handed easily. Somehow, that thing on her wrist had increased her strength greatly; she felt powerful and-

Her amusement turned to shock when the sword suddenly sprouted a long, black vine and lashed itself from the sword's hilt. Simultaneously, the bracelet sprouted one of its own and wrapped itself around the sword's own vine. The two vines entwined briefly before both suddenly vanished in a cloud of black mist.

"Congratulations are in order. You are the first of our New-Type God Eaters. Brilliant! You've passed the test, and well. Now that we're certain you're a match, we must ensure your welfare with a short physical..."

 _Oh screw you._ Raven glared up at the viewing platform. It was one test after another. She was really starting to hate all these exams...


	4. Chapter 2: A New Breed

_A New Breed_

 ** _Three years earlier..._**

 _Lillia Akiyama, please go to the training facility for initiation. Your God Arc match has been found. Report in ten minutes for your final assessment procedures._

She kept reading the notice on her tablet over and over, still processing the news. All around her, other children went about their lunch, either ignoring or not noticing Falcon. Her own lunch went ignored in front of her; her attention was focused on more pressing matters. Today was finally it: the day Falcon had been training so long for. Some God eaters were projected matches as young as thirteen. Falcon was now fifteen, a prime candidate and in the optimal age range. She shouldn't have been surprised that she had been matched. This was what Frostpeak existed for after all. All of her life had been spent preparing for this day. Her training left her with no doubts about her skills.

She just wasn't so sure she was ready emotionally.

"Hey, brighten up, Falcon," Ocelot beamed as he took a seat beside her, "It ain't so bad. Look, I might be Ocelot in here," he gestured to his implant, "but I'm still Ryo Watanabe in _here!_ " he thumped himself on the chest with one of his trademark grins. "You'll be fine, just you wait!"

Falcon smiled at her longtime friend. He had been only just matched last year to a New-Type European model of God Arc that was capable of accepting polearm weaponry. Ocelot was one of only seven Frostpeak children with this type of God Arc. Usual procedure was for graduates to be sent to other Fenrir branches upon graduation. Strangely, he had not been sent away to a new branch. Instead, Ocelot was assigned to the Defense Corps of Frostpeak as a sentry. Falcon was grateful for that.

A flick on the back of her head made Falcon jump. She leaped to her feet, glaring at the little miscreant who was picking on her. Her anger turned to surprise, then recognition as she saw her assailant. A short, dark-haired kid was standing there quietly. He was Yuuki "Edge" Yamamoto, a fellow child of Frostpeak. A somewhat odd but intelligent youth, Edge was one of Falcon's good friends. Whereas Ocelot could be playful and silly, Edge tended to be cool and somewhat aloof. He would sometimes pretend to ignore a situation or not care about somebody's troubles, but Edge was in reality an excellent listener and little escaped his notice. Though he was her age, Falcon saw him as something of a mentor, someone who she could always rely on. He never seemed to mind, even when she was venting stress.

Come to think of it, she really needed one of those chats...

"Hey, Falcon," Edge said cordially as he sat by Falcon's other side, "What's the matter? You barely touched your sandwich..."

"Oh, you!" she swatted Edge on the back of the head, returning to her seat. "You made me jump!"

"Haha, sorry," Edge rubbed his head, "but seriously, what's going on? You're fifteen minutes late to practice. Oni's gonna drill us again if you linger like that, and you know he'll have something particularly bad for _you._ "

Falcon checked her watch, shooting to her feet again. Sure enough, she'd lost track of time! "Oh damn! Oni's gonna blow a gasket!"

Edge grabbed the tablet that Falcon had nearly left. "Don't forget your..." He paused mid-sentence as he saw what was flashing across the screen. "You...? Is this real!?"

 _Oh right. The initiation. Oni's never going to believe this..._ "Well, you saw it. I'm supposed to report in fifteen minutes for preparation. But I have to tell Oni or he'll-"

"FALCON! Get your ass in here pronto, soldier!" Oni's voice blared over the loudspeaker, "You have twenty seconds! Nineteen! Eighteen!"

"...yell like a damn banshee." Falcon sighed as Oni's countdown continued. She glared off in the direction of the shooting range. "How am I gonna tell him about this?"

"I'll take care of it."

Falcon turned over a shoulder to find her father standing there. Ichirou "Frost" Akiyama was a forty-one year old veteran with short-cropped hair and intense, violet eyes. He was the Captain of the Defense Corps, and the facility commandant. He could be a little direct and did not have much subtlety, but was always polite and treated his subordinates like family. He was even known to take recruits aside and personally instruct them at times. Falcon admired Frost greatly, and she hoped that one day she'd be able to command respect the way her that father did.

"Frost, sir," Falcon turned to him, "I... I've been matched!"

"I know. I was the one who reviewed your file." Frost put a hand on Falcon's shoulder, looking her in the eye. "Are you afraid of being a God Eater?"

"No sir, but I _am_ nervous," Falcon said honestly, "I know it's what we trained for, but it doesn't make this easier..."

"I know," Frost fingered his implant, "I was part of the first batch of God Eaters, back when they still used Pistols. Imagine what it was like for us, not knowing what would happen."

"Father..." Falcon didn't know what to say to this. It must've been scary to say the least, scarier than she could know. At least she knew what she was in for. When Frost was initiated, he had no idea what would happen to him. How would she feel if she had nothing to go on? The thought made Falcon shudder a little.

"Frost, sir? Permission to speak?"

Frost turned to Ocelot, who had suddenly stood and spoke up, "What is it?"

Ocelot stiffened his stance slightly. "Sir, I would like to request to accompany Lillia during her initiation. If she wants, of course."

"Well?" he turned to Falcon, "What say you, Falcon? Do you want him with you?"

Falcon didn't need to think about it. "Yes, sir. It would be nice to have someone experienced with me."

"Then permission granted, Ocelot."

"But what about me?" Edge asked, "I'm worried too..."

"I know," Frost said curtly, "but this is not some performance. You'll get the news from her when she's done."

"...Sir." Edge affirmed with a small sigh, but not without shooting a smiling Ocelot a look.

"Hey, you jealous or something?" Ocelot suddenly grinned broader, leaning down to eye-level with Edge. "Oh, wait... I get it! You have the hots for Falcon don't you?"

"Get out of my face, Ocelot." Edge narrowed his hazel eyes at the boy.

Ocelot straightened up. "Yeah, yeah, Edge, point taken. I'll make you spill it soon enough."

Falcon simply stared between the boys. It was no secret that Edge liked her, even if he pretended otherwise. She found his honesty and straight forward attitude very sweet. She liked his company, though she wasn't quite sure if it was a crush or just friendship. Ocelot was known to have a somewhat jealous streak himself, and he liked to tease Edge about his shyness. Ocelot and Edge would often wind up competing for Falcon's attention, much to her embarrassment.

"Are you two kids quite done yet?" she asked with a dramatic mock scorn, "I have to get going, with or without you."

"Oh now look," Ocelot teased again, "You've pissed her off."

"Hardly," Edge said matter-of-factually, "When Lillia gets mad, she bites her lip."

Falcon could not hold her facade any longer and laughed. Something about the way Edge could see right through her acts every time amused her to no end, almost as much as Ocelot's mischievous ways did.

"What is the meaning of this!? You kids better have a damn good excuse for being so late to drill!" All three kids flinched at the familiar voice, exchanging nervous looks.

"Shit. Oni..." Ocelot said in a low voice.

Falcon steeled her nerves and turned to Oni. The infamous drill sergeant was standing there in the cafeteria, arms folded and a scowl pasted on his face. "Oni, sir," Falcon said carefully, "I have been chosen for initiation. I am to report to-"

"Let me see some proof before you start inventing stories, you delinquent!" Oni's glare darkened.

Edge simply held out Falcon's tablet that he was still holding. Oni snatched it and glared at the boy. "And _what_ am I supposed to...?" His rant was cut short as Oni read the message on its surface. He said nothing, instead twirling his mustache around a finger and gazing blankly at the screen as his scowl turned to an unreadable expression.

"Sir?" Falcon asked. Oni's reply was to hold up a hand in a silencing gesture as he continued to stare and type away at the tablet. Falcon blinked in puzzlement. Oni was reacting very strangely to this news. She had expected a lot of Oni's trademark venom and barking, but this odd silence he was giving... that couldn't be good news, right?

Oni suddenly spun to Frost, a look of astonishment on his face. "Sir, is this accurate?! Is she really...?"

Frost nodded once, "Yes, and by the way, that's supposed to be personal information. Don't snoop." He snatched Falcon's tablet back and handed it to her.

Oni glanced Falcon's way before returning to Frost. "She obviously has no idea, sir! She's too damn calm to know!"

 _Know what? What are they talking about?_ Falcon looked at the tablet again and saw a new note flashing across the screen.

 _Lillia Akiyama has been shown to have a 98.7 percent compatibility with the P53 Bias Factor a 81.8 percent compatibility with the P49 Bias Factor, and a 3.9 percent compatibility with the P73 Bias Factor. Advise and provide details as necessary._

She was compatible with multiple Bias Factors? It looked like two of them had very low compatibility though. She knew P53 was the Bias Factor given to most God Eaters, and the Bias Factor most commonly used in Fenrir. P73 was among the first Bias Factors discovered, but it was deemed too dangerous to be injected in humans. The other Bias Factor, P49, she knew nothing about.

What did this mean?

Falcon looked up from the tablet. Frost and Oni had to have seen the face she was making, and they exchanged glances.

"Just tell her, sir. She'll get in the way if she-"

Frost glared at Oni, cutting him off with a scowl. "I'll manage this, Oni. Get over to the training hall. I'll need your help."

"Oni's coming too?!" Falcon blurted, adding in a quick "sir" for formality.

"Do you have a problem, soldier?" Oni sneered, "I'm your supervising officer. Remember your place."

"And _you_ remember yours!" Frost warned, "She will be your _equal_ by day's end, so you best get over that attitude!" Oni didn't reply for several seconds, then muttered a quiet affirmation.

Falcon followed her father through the winding, steel halls with Oni close behind them. Ocelot noticed them on the move and scrambled to catch up.

"So, Lillia," he smiled kindly at her, "I bet you're full of questions, huh. Ask away. We got another ten minutes until the procedure."

"I can think of one right off the bat," Falcon replied, "Do you know anything about the P49 Bias Factor?"

"Well, P49 is what most off us kids get when compatibility is good," Ocelot fingered his implant, "I have it too. I dunno why only some kids get P53 around here, especially since P53 is more stable than P49..."

"I can explain," Frost added, "You're familiar with our mission here at Frostpeak, yes?"

Of course she was. "We were all brought here to train for the God Eater program. We were all selected for our high stats and good projected compatibility with Bias Factor."

Frost nodded back, "Good, but not quite. You weren't wrong, but there's more to the Frostpeak project than mere training."

"How do you mean?" asked Ocelot, now curious as well, "This is news to me..."

"It has to do with the P49 Bias Factor. The truth is that every child here was selected for their potential compatibility with P49."

"Wait a second," Falcon scratched her head, "I don't get it. Why use P49 if it's less stable? Isn't it risky?"

"Yes," Frost answered, "There is a good reason we use this Bias Factor instead of P53. You may know that Bias Factor prevents Oracle cells from devouring certain targets, yes? It also allows Oracle Cells to exist symbiotically within the human body. This greatly increases a God Eater's speed, stamina, and strength far beyond normal human capability. P49... is unique. It allows further symbiosis between a God Eater's body and their Oracle Cells."

"Meaning?" Ocelot asked again.

"Meaning that P49 allows certain... abilities to be expressed. Exactly what depends on the individual." Frost paused momentarily, turning over his back to Ocelot. "Ryo, have you noticed anything unusual since your initiation? Anything that perhaps no other God Eaters have?"

"Well..." Ocelot cast a brief glance at Oni, "I'm strong. I mean really, _really_ strong. I can out-muscle Oni during drill. I never did that even once before the initiation."

"That's only because of your Bias Factor!" Oni snorted with his mustache flying, "If you had P53 like any _decent_ God Eater-"

"Oni. Watch it." Frost warned.

"That _kid_ is what he is only because you cherry-picked him!" Oni either didn't hear Frost or was deliberately ignoring him. Falcon suspected the latter. "That little whelp hardly earned his power-"

Frost stopped again, spinning to face Oni. "That's quite enough of that attitude, Hiroshi!" he barked, his expression becoming harsh, "Stand down or I'll have to reprimand you for contempt!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Oni blurted, straightening to his full height. Falcon had to cough into her arm and bite her lip to hide a snort of amusement. Seeing Oni get put in his place was comical to say the least. Ocelot was not so restrained, and he laughed until tears spilled from his eyes.

"Grow up, both of you," Oni growled in a low voice.

Frost cast one more glare in Oni's direction before continuing, "As I was saying, the P49 Bias Factor grants its wielder with certain powers. As you heard, Ryo's talent is a massive increase in his muscle strength. During his first mission, he grabbed an Ogretail by its tail and flung it sixty yards!"

"No kidding, sir?!" Frost nodded once, and Falcon was genuinely surprised. She cast a look to Ocelot who shrugged sheepishly and grinned. To imagine this slender kid flinging an Ogretail around like a toy, now _that_ was a mental image. Whether it was funny or scary, she couldn't decide.

And then it struck her; she would have a "talent" too. That was what Frost was saying, right? She wondered what she might get. Maybe it would be telekinesis. The ability to move stuff without lifting a finger would be cool. Or perhaps the ability to breathe fire, that would be fun! She grinned at the thought of spitting fire like a Vajratail. Or maybe-

"However!" Frost's voice cut through her daydream, "There is a catch to the P49 Bias Factor."

But of _course_. Always a catch... Falcon sighed inwardly as Frost continued, "Compatibility with P49 is rare and the initiation procedure can be... difficult. Fortunately, all of Frostpeak's children are candidates, including you, Lillia. As for the initiation itself, there are certain risks you should be aware of."

She already knew from NORN's videos what to expect from a "normal" initiation. If the candidate was incompatible, they would be devoured by their own Oracle Cells or their God Arc. Or worse, they may suffer an Aragami infection and become a monster. What could be riskier than that, she wondered.

"What are the risks, Father?" Falcon asked, "Is it different than P53 initiation?"

"In most ways, no," Frost answered, "but there _is_ one major difference. P49 injections require a simultaneous injection of activated Oracle Cells. This is not only very painful, it can occasionally produce... abnormal results. Ask Ryo, he knows first-hand."

Falcon looked at Ocelot, who was looking at his feet. "Abnormal results? What does he mean by that?"

Ocelot didn't say anything at first, instead stopping and turning his back to her. He unzipped his jacket, and shrugged it off. He was not wearing a shirt under it, but that wasn't what caught her off guard. Across Ocelot's back was a series of black, vein-like markings that looked like scars. As he turned back around, Falcon could see his chest was covered in even more marks, converging over his heart in a patch of pure black. The skin between the marks of his chest was pale, no, it was white as snow. Near his shoulders and lower torso, it mottled back to his normal skin tone in a swirled, almost marbled fashion. Falcon gasped in spite of herself at the surprising sight.

Ocelot gave her a small grin, but it was a lopsided, somewhat forlorn smile. "I had a bad reaction to the Bias Factor. I almost turned into an Aragami." He glared down at himself, "This is what I have become instead... a freak."

Come to think of it, she remembered that Ocelot was missing for four weeks after his initiation. At the time, he simply said that it was a medical leave involving recovery from the initiation. Now she knew it was a half-truth; he was recovering from _this,_ whatever this was. Falcon's mind was abuzz with questions, but none would come.

After catching herself staring, Falcon finally said, "Oh Ryo!" and covered her mouth in shock.

"Are you scared of becoming like me?" he asked flatly.

"N-no..." Falcon fibbed.

"Liar," his smirk turned genuine, "You'd be an idiot not to be afraid, and I know you're not one."

Falcon's mind was spinning. Seeing her friend like this was a shock for sure! "D... does it hurt? Those scars, I mean," she asked Ocelot, "It looks like it hurts."

"Hurts like hell," Ocelot replied, "Not so much these days luckily."

"Now you see for yourself the risk," Frost paused before a huge, steel-reinforced doorway: the entrance to the training room. "This risk is why I have decided to give each child a choice. Take the P53, or the P49. If a candidate shows adequate compatibility with P73, that will be offered too. Lillia, you have a choice to make. It all depends on what you want to risk for power beyond imagining." He waved an ID card at the door, and it slid open. "Now, before we proceed, I need to ask: which Bias Factor do you want to use?"

 _What I want to risk for_ _ **power?**_ Falcon thought hard. Either way was a risk. For the sake of the mission, she knew what the right answer was: P49. But seeing what happened to Ryo... it made her shudder to think about what might have happened if the infection was worse. Ryo might have become an Aragami outright. Still, P49 made him amazingly strong. The idea of such prowess excited Falcon.

But it was very dangerous. What was the harm in using P53? Nothing, but it did feel like a cop-out, especially if she had an 81.8 percent chance of compatibility with P49. Both Bias Factors carried the risk of an Aragami infection, right? So in the end, what was there to lose from trying P49? Well, she knew damn well what there was to lose. She was no fool. It took her several long minutes before she'd made up her mind.

"I want to use the P49 Bias Factor."

"Are you sure?" asked Frost, "I don't want you to rush your choice."

Falcon swallowed hard, steeling her nerves. "I am. Sir."

"Well _good_ for you." Oni's voice dripped sarcasm, "Now get your..." Oni paused mid-sentence as Frost shot him a glare, "... _self_ in there. Let's get this over with."

Falcon nodded and followed Frost into the room. The training room was exactly as she remembered it; large enough to accommodate up to four trainees, black steel-reinforced walls, battle scars covering the walls, and platforms for tactical warfare. She was quite familiar with this room. She'd spent many a day fighting imitation Aragami in this very place. In the middle of the room was a huge device of some sort with a table at the side. Falcon guessed that was the machine for the initiation.

"No sense putting this off," Frost said, "Go ahead and lie down on the table when you're ready for it."

Falcon nodded and turned back to the imposing machine. As she laid down on the table, her vantage was covered by wires and metal. She closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths to calm herself.

She opened her eyes when Ocelot came and put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you okay Falcon? You're shaking..."

She nodded once. "I... I'll manage..."

"Just try to relax. Think of something nice." Ocelot suggested, "I know it's hard to calm down, but it makes things easier."

Falcon nodded again. She was distracted by Ocelot and neither of them saw Oni and Frost coming up from both sides of the table.

"There's one last thing," Frost said, surprising her and making her turn her head to him, "We must restrain you. Sometimes the reactions are... violent."

Falcon didn't even have the time to ask questions when she felt a rough hand grab her by the right arm. She yelped in surprise as Oni began strapping her to the table.

"Will you stop flinching already?!" Oni barked as he tightened the restraints on her arms, "Grow a damn spine!"

"What are you doing?!" she blurted.

Frost gave her a look. "This is a necessary precaution. It'll mitigate any damage should... trouble occur."

 _Trouble? Just what did I agree to?!_


	5. Chapter 3: P49

_P 49_

Ocelot put a hand on Falcon's shoulder, making her turn her head to him. "You're scared, aren't you?"

Falcon opened her mouth to deny it, but Ocelot cut her off, "Don't try to tell me you aren't. You're shaking like a scared dog. I'd be worried for you if you _weren't_ scared." He smiled, putting on his bravest face for her. Falcon's nod spoke confidence, but her eyes were sparkling in near-panic.

His mind wend back to his own initiation, just a little less than a year earlier. He had been strapped to this very table, with only Frost and Oni as guides. Oni was the same bastard he always was, telling him that he needed to be a man and suck it up. At least Frost was amicable, but distant. Ocelot had felt alone then, and the two instructors' presence had done little to ease his nerves. He wanted to be her guide, to help her when nobody could help him.

But Ocelot had a second reason for coming with Falcon on her initiation. He remembered how his procedure went wrong. He remembered the panic that overwhelmed him when he saw the machine clamp around his arm and force the implant onto his wrist. He remembered the pain of the Oracle Cells flowing into his body and burning the black scars into his flesh. He also remembered breaking the steel bands holding him down and charging Frost in a frenzy. He was half-mad at the time, and Ocelot didn't know how much of his fractured memories of that part were real and how much were something his feral Aragami side made up to justify bloodshed. He _did_ know that Frost nearly had to kill him to stop his rampage. If Falcon's procedure went wrong... Frost may not be able to stop her like he stopped Ocelot. His greatest fear was another incident, and he was not about to let that happen to her too.

He just knew he couldn't let Falcon see that fear, even if he had to lie to her. He hid his fears behind his comforting grin.

"Cowardice has no place among God Eaters," Oni shot Falcon another glare, "You damn kids have no guts anymore..."

"Guts have nothing to do with this," Ocelot hissed, "She's brave enough, so back off!"

Oni balked at Ocelot's outburst, "The hell did you say to me? The truth too much for you?!"

Ocelot finally snapped, shoving Oni back as his temper flared, "You bastard! What the hell do you think you have over us?! I'm so damn sick of it, it's not even funny! Take your attitude and stick it up your ass, you fat fuck!"

Oni actually backed up several steps, his facade of haughtiness shattered for a moment. Before he could reply, Frost cut in, "Both of you, knock it off! Hiroshi, don't antagonize! Ryo, don't get snippy! Both of you need to stop that fighting and help me, is that clear?!"

Ocelot glared silently at Oni, finding a small satisfaction when Oni's shocked face decayed to an acknowledging frown. "Sir, yes sir," Oni said crisply as he shot Ocelot one last baleful glare.

Ocelot turned to Frost for a moment before returning to Falcon's side, "Yes, sir."

"Ryo... can I ask you something?" Falcon spoke up suddenly from the table.

Ocelot gave her a comforting grin again, burying his anger behind a smile. "Of course, Lillia. Ask away."

I know this seems weird, but..." she looked up at him worriedly. "Just... hold my hand. It's kinda dumb, but I think I'll feel better if you-"

"There's nothing weird or dumb about it," Ocelot put his hand in hers, "I know. I would've killed for a friend to hold my hand last year. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere until this is over."

She squeezed his hand, a smile of her own finally spreading across her face. "Thanks. You're a real pal."

"Hey, quit getting all sappy on me!" Ocelot teased, "You're gonna cost me my tough-guy rep!" That rather ironic joke made Falcon laugh.

"Falcon, I won't lie to you. This part is going to be very painful and you may go berserk like Ocelot did. Are you sure you want to continue with the procedure? We can still switch Bias Factors if you like..."

Falcon looked up at Frost. "No, sir. Proceed with P49 as planned..."

"Alright then. Ocelot, you know what to do. Oni, help me prepare the serum."

 _I do?_ Ocelot looked at Frost for direction, but the senior God Eater was behind the machine with Oni, tinkering in the back of it.

Falcon squeezed his hand, making him look at her again. He could feel her start to shake under his hand. "This is it, isn't it? I don't know if I'm scared or excited!"

"What's wrong with both?" he replied, "Just relax, okay? Think of something peaceful."

She smiled thoughtfully, "Like that time we went up to the cliffs and just sat and watched the snow fall for an entire afternoon?"

Ocelot nodded. "Perfect! That's the way!" Ocelot's reassuring was cut short by a shriek from Falcon. The right side of the machine had slammed shut around her right arm, forcing the armlet into her wrist. Ocelot flinched himself on recalling that unpleasant surprise. Something wasn't right though. Falcon's back arched against the table and she screamed again. She flailed and thrashed against the restraints, struggling to break free.

"What the?" Frost popped out from behind the machine, "Oni, status report!"

"The serum is not yet loaded! It's installing the implant and injecting the Oracle Cells without any Bias Factor!" Oni shouted as he flipped several switches, "This stupid piece of shit is malfunctioning!"

"Put it in, _now!"_ Frost barked, "If the timing fails-" Frost's command was cut short by another cry from Falcon. Ocelot glanced down at her to find a crazed, wild-animal look in her eyes. A snarl of feral pain was twisted on her face. Black, vein-like markings were crawling their way up her arm, advancing as he watched in horrified recognition.

She was having a reaction, just like he did.

Falcon screamed again, ripping her left arm and leg free of the straps. Steel snapped like twine as she lunged and pried at the machine still clamped on her right arm. Her wild blows left claw-like gouges in the machine as she scrabbled and scratched.

" _Pin_ her you useless whelp!" Oni barked at Ocelot, "She'll destroy the machine!"

"What about _her?_ " Ocelot shouted back, "What can we do?!"

"Shut your trap and do something, damn you!" Oni cut him off. Ocelot glared, but Oni was right. Now was not the time for an argument. Mustering his strength, he grabbed Falcon's arm and pinned her back to the table. She retaliated with a brutal side-kick to his stomach. Ocelot grunted; her kick really hurt. But he did not let her go, instead, he sat on her leg and grappled the table with his legs as he put his full weight on her.

"Get that damn serum in the machine, Hiroshi!" Frost ordered.

Oni slammed something into the back of the machine. "I got it! This better work!"

It was not a moment too soon. Falcon had broken her other leg free and was kicking Ocelot repeatedly in the backside and lower back. He was getting pretty bruised up from her abuse. She was startlingly strong like this! When Oni slapped the serum into the machine, the effect was nearly instantaneous. Falcon stopped her flailing and laid back exhausted on the table. Her eyes were closed, she was gritting her teeth, and she was breathing hard. Seeing her suddenly go passive was both a relief, and a little worrisome.

She slowly opened one eye and cursed softly. "Wow... that sucked," she groaned, "That really, _really_ sucked! Damn..."

"Lillia?" Ocelot asked, "You okay now? Can I let you go?"

She groaned again and looked up at him. When she noticed Ocelot on top of her, her face reddened and she suddenly balked. "R-Ryo!" she blurted, "What the hell are you doing on me?! Get off, dammit!"

"S-sorry!" Ocelot rolled from the table, leaving a startled Falcon behind, "You were going crazy there! I had to stop you!"

"Crazy? _Crazy!?_ I'll tell you what's crazy, Ryo!" Falcon glared daggers from her place on the table, "Taking advantage of a tied-up girl, _that's_ what's crazy, you pervert!"

"Lillia, please listen to me!" he repeated, "I had to stop you! I'm sorry..."

"Falcon, how are you feeling?" Frost put his hand on her shoulder, "Are you still in pain?"

"My right arm is killing me..." Falcon groaned, slowly sitting up with Frost's aid, "What happened to me? Why was Ryo sitting on me like that?"

"You had a violent reaction to the Bias Factor," Frost replied, "It happens on occasion. Luckily, I don't think it'll cause any permanent damage to your body." As Frost said, the black markings were already fading from Falcon's arm. If she had noticed them in the first place, she didn't seem to react.

"Violent?" Falcon's eyes widened, and she looked at Frost, Oni, and Ocelot in turn, "Oh no! Did I hurt anybody?!"

"You kept kicking me in the ass," Ocelot said honestly, adding a joshing "I won't be able to sit right for a week..."

"Oh, Ryo I'm so sorry!" Falcon looked down at her lap, breaking eye contact. "If I was trying to hurt you, it's no wonder you had to restrain me. How embarrassing..."

Falcon turned her gaze to the white implant on her arm. "So, this is it then. I'm a God Eater..." She smiled awkwardly, then broke out into a nervous laugh. "I wondered what it'd feel like. Turns out it doesn't _feel_ that different from an hour ago!"

"What'd I tell ya?" Ocelot grinned, "It hurts like a bitch, but you're alright. Bet you're exhausted huh."

Falcon sighed. "I feel like I could sleep for days!"

"She's just fine," Oni observed, "well enough to whine at any rate."

Frost ignored Oni. "There is one final test." He pulled out a large case from behind the machine. Ocelot recognized it as a God Arc case. Frost flicked open the lock and revealed the Arc. Ocelot could see it was a European model with a scythe mounted. "Let's verify the match is complete. Take this God Arc in your hands."

She nodded once, but didn't reply. Instead, she swung her legs over the table and reached for the weapon. With shaking hands, she grabbed hold of the scythe. As expected, both her armlet and her God Arc extended vines. Both entwined for a moment before retracting into their respective origins.

Frost nodded once in satisfaction. "Good. It accepted you. You are free to go, Falcon. Ocelot, help her to her room. She needs to rest."

"Of course, sir." Ocelot extended a hand to her. "Ready? Can you stand yet?"

Falcon slid down from the table, but stumbled as she took a step. Ocelot caught her and draped her arm over his shoulder. "Easy, easy. Don't push so hard, okay? Let's get you to a proper bed."

"That's hardly the appropriate thing to say to a girl, Ocelot."

Falcon finally lost her cool and snapped, "What would you know about appropriate behavior, asshole?"

That Oni was pissing him off something fierce! Ocelot opened his mouth to let Oni have it again when a loud klaxon blared throughout the facility. Ocelot quickly recognized the pattern...

"Attention in the facility!" a man's voice announced loudly, "This is not a drill! Aragami presence confirmed in the perimeter! All God Eaters report to the North Yard for extermination measures! Repeat, all God Eaters to the North Yard! All non-combat personnel are to report to the Central Shelter ASAP! Repeat, all non-combat personnel, report to the Central Shelter ASAP! Attention in the facility!"

"God damn it!" Oni stamped a foot, "Fucking beasts!"

Frost glared up at the loudspeaker. "Blast it. Fine time for another attack... Falcon, go to the Central Shelter and rest. Your Bias Factor has yet to fully bind with your body. If you try to fight in that state, your God Arc might try to Devour _you_ instead!"

"What?!" Falcon blurted with wide eyes, "But I'm-!"

"That was not a suggestion! Ocelot, get her to the Shelter, then meet us in the North Yard! Oni, you're coming with me!" Frost was already racing out of the room, and for once Oni did not retort. Instead, he silently rushed after the commandant.

"Let's go, Lillia." Ocelot gently guided a resisting Falcon out of the room.

"But Ryo!" she struggled against his grip weakly, "I can fight too! I'm a full-fledged God Eater! Let me help for a change!"

Ocelot paused at the doorway to the Central Shelter and ushered a still annoyed Falcon inside. A low bang from further ahead caught his attention and made him look in the direction of the sound.

"Ryo..." she protested again, "What should I do? I want to help!"

""Lillia..." He could sympathize with her. He'd felt the same helplessness when he was confined to the infirmary for four weeks last year. He had an idea for her though. "I need you to stay put and protect the civilians. If any Aragami breach our defenses, then you'll be our last stand. Reassure the non-combat personnel and help keep order."

"Okay." Falcon nodded and seemed satisfied, at least Ocelot thought so. He thought she still seemed a bit let down though.

"I'm going. Stay safe, Falcon!" Ocelot spun and ran down the hall, making a detour to his room to retrieve his God Arc before joining his superiors in the fight.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

Falcon sighed and slumped down on a couch nearby. She wanted so desperately to go, and sitting around here doing nothing didn't feel like much help at all. But her body ached in multiple places and she was dizzy from exhaustion. All she could do was sit and wait...

"Hey, kid?"

She looked over to see one of the janitors sitting next to her. "What is it?"

"They send you here to protect the Shelter?" When she nodded in response, the woman smiled and sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I thought they'd leave us to fend for ourselves again. It's funny, they train all these God Eaters to fight, so you'd think they'd spare a kid to hold the fort. But every time this happens, everybody just rushes the Aragami and leaves us in here alone. I'm glad you're here, kid."

Falcon had mixed feelings about the woman's praise. She'd rather be out on the front lines. That's what she'd been training fifteen years for. Being forced to sit back and wait... that galled her.

But this innocent woman was counting on her to protect her from the Aragami. Not just her, but every civilian in this shelter, no, every civilian in all of Frostpeak. They were all relying on her to be their hero. The idea of being a hero both intrigued and pleased her. She decided maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

 _"Thank you, ma'am." She smiled kindly and put a hand on the woman's shoulder. "I'm here to protect you. All of you."_


	6. Chapter 4: Welcome to Fenrir

_Welcome to Fenrir_

Raven sat on a cot in the exam room, wearing nothing but a medical gown. She'd been told to wait here for a while and "just relax", but relaxing was the last thing on her mind. She stared across the room at the mirror on the wall. The girl staring back was the same as always superficially, but Raven still felt _different._ Reborn. Like she wasn't quite human anymore. Or perhaps like she was something more than human: she couldn't decide which. She looked down and fingered the red implant on her right arm. In one way, it was not unlike the chunky bangles her mother was so fond of wearing. She knew better than to mistake it for a mere bauble. This was what made her what she was now: a God Eater.

But what now? Sooner or later she'd have to fight Aragami, and the idea still worried her. She'd never even seen a real, live Aragami before. All she knew were the propaganda and recruitment shows that Fenrir liked to broadcast on TV. The Aragami were always portrayed the same way, as nasty, brainless beasts who only exist to eat, kill, and destroy. How the hell could she fight one now? Just what kind of chance did she stand?

 _Whatever it takes, right?_ She tried to reassure herself, but the thought seemed hollow. Who the hell was she kidding? She was scared, dammit! The sound of the door opening made her look towards it. Fafnir and one of the doctors were in the doorway. They both entered the room as Raven quietly followed them with her eyes.

"I have excellent news for you... Raven," the doctor pawed through her notes, flipping pages on her clipboard, "your Bias Factor has bonded quite nicely with your body. You are free to leave." She looked up from the notes, smiling gently. "Congratulations, God Eater."

Raven tilted her head, slightly confused. "Okay?"

Fafnir smiled kindly at Raven. "Ready to go? I'll show you to the rookies' wing."

Raven nodded once, "Yes, thanks." She slid down from the cot and followed Fafnir through the halls. As she passed, sometimes people would stare a little. Most didn't even spare a glance though. One dark-haired man wearing a long trench coat seemed interested and approached.

"Who's this you've got, Fafnir? That your new girl?"

Raven narrowed her eyes, but before she could say anything, Fafnir replied, "Of course not, Lindow. She's our New- _Type_."

The newcomer, Lindow, Fafnir called him, circled Raven, inspecting her from all angles. "Huh. Good to meet you, New-Type. Name's Lindow Amamiya. I'm the captain of the First Unit, but I hate all that formality crap. Just call me Lindow. What's your name, kid?"

"Amy Hidaka," she replied simply, "Call me Raven."

"Raven, huh? Nice. It suits you. We'll talk more some other time. It looks like you just got out of exams. Come find me later and we'll have ourselves a good chat over a beer or two."

"I'm underage." Raven wasn't quite sure what to make of Lindow. Was he being friendly or was he trying to pick her up?

"Ah," he grinned a little, "sodas then. Well, I better let you go for now. See you later Rook, Fafnir."

"It's Raven..." She started to protest, but all she got in reply was a playful wave. "He's... really something." Raven tilted her head at the man as he left.

"That's classic Lindow for you," Fafnir seemed totally unfazed by Lindow's attitude, "He's kind of laid-back, but a great leader. Do you know what unit you'll be in?"

"First. Why?"

"Ah I see, the Extermination Division. Lindow will be your unit leader then. Like I said, a good man. I was hoping you'd be assigned to the Recon Division under me. I don't know you all that well, but I'm starting to take a shine to you, Raven. I hope we can continue to be friends."

"Are you trying to hit on me too?" Raven was starting to get annoyed again.

Fafnir spun around mid-stride, and his face reddened. "Ah, no... That is to say... I... Uh... It's not like that... Er..." Fafnir straightened his collar and cleared his throat, "Change of subject. Your room is right here." He waved a keycard at the door he stopped by, then handed the card to Raven. "You'll find some standard-issue uniforms in the closet. Meet at the Den at 12:30 for a debriefing from Tsubaki."

"Who?" Raven asked.

"Tsubaki Amamiya, she's in charge of administrative duties of units one, two, and three."

"Amamiya? Is she related to Lindow?"

Fafnir smiled and nodded. "You're sharp. Yes, she's his older sister. I hate to break off like this, but I have other duties to attend to. Get yourself cleaned up and meet with the others in the lobby at 12:30. See you around." Fafnir turned and left, leaving Raven to her thoughts as she investigated her dorm.

It wasn't huge, but it was far larger than the room above the shop she and her mother shared in the Ghetto. Much cleaner and more luxurious too, complete with her own bed, a table and a couch. She smiled to think about Chidori's reaction to this place. After pawing inside around the closet, she found the clothes Fafnir was talking about tucked away in a drawer. There were three different styles of tops and bottoms with four colors of each. She only had one outfit back in the Ghetto: her favorite purple hoodie with a white tank top and blue jeans. The situation was pretty standard for poor folk like herself. Raven was just a little overwhelmed by the sheer variety of clothes. She eventually settled on a military-style purple hoodie and white leggings with purple boots. In another drawer, she found a large variety of accessories including ribbons, sunglasses and earrings. Raven looked at the wall clock and noticed that it was now 12:20, so she ignored the accessories for now.

It took her a bit of wandering and asking others, but she eventually found where the lobby was. She made her way there and rushed to one of the couches. Checking her watch, she saw that she still had some time before the meeting, so she looked around. Behind the front desk, a red-haired girl no older than Raven wearing a black vest and white uniform was looking at her with a smile.

"Well, hi there!" the stranger greeted with a smile, "Are you that New-Type God Eater we're supposed to be getting?"

"I guess I am." Raven replied, to which the girl let out an "Oh," of admiration. How did this girl know that? Somehow Raven certainly didn't _feel_ that special, but others seemed to have different ideas for some reason.

"Oh, haha, I didn't introduce myself did I? Name's Hibari. I'll be giving you your missions, so we'll be seeing a lot of each other. What's your name, New-Type?"

Raven wrinkled her brow. "Why does everyone keep calling me 'New-Type'? My name's Amy Hidaka. Call me Raven."

"Uwaaah! I'm late, I'm late, I'M LATE!" Raven's head snapped around at the sudden voice. A young red-head wearing a yellow and orange outfit came charging into the Den. He whirled around the desk and took a quick seat by Raven.

"*Huff, huff...* Whew... I... think I made it..." he panted breathlessly, "Just... in time..." He suddenly seemed to notice Raven. "Oh, hey. Sup? You a match too?"

"Yeah." Raven replied simply.

The kid's smile broadened a little. "That makes at least two of us. How old are you anyway?"

"Eighteen."

"Oh yeah? A little older than most of us rookies, huh. I'm Kota Fujiki and I'm fifteen. Pleasure to meetcha."

"I'm Amy Hidaka. Raven is my codename."

"Ooh, nice codename. I haven't chosen one myself, haha. I wanna wait until I think of something cool." He paused for a moment, eyeing Raven with a grin. "Say, wanna hang out sometime? I know a good little restaurant we could hit up on a day off."

Really? Did the men of the Far East have no filter?! Raven opened her mouth to reply further when a tall woman wearing a very revealing uniform stalked over to them.

"Stand." she ordered crisply.

"Huh?" Kota blurted in surprise. Apparently he didn't see this woman coming.

"Stand and to attention, now!" she ordered again, more sternly this time. Raven shot to her feet and straightened her posture. Kota followed suit, but seemed much more nervous than Raven.

"Excellent. I've got a busy day planned, so we'll keep this quick. My name is Tsubaki Amamiya. I'm the senior operator here at the Far East, and I'll be your advisor. Your schedule is as follows; a quick medical exam followed by a gamut of physical conditioning."

"Another exam?" Raven groaned, "Just how many times are they going to do that to me today?!"

Tsubaki's stern gaze turned to Raven. She subconsciously bit her lip as the officer glared slightly. "If you've already completed your preliminary exams, then there's no need for you to repeat it. Now, back to your schedules..."

 _Kinda scary woman._ Raven reflected as Tsubaki continued her lecture. _Nothing at all like her happy-go-lucky brother..._

"If you plan on staying alive, every order will be answered answered and enacted immediately, understood?" When Tsubaki did not receive an answer she barked, "Am I understood?" again.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Raven and Kota both blurted in surprise.

"Better. Now as we were. Let's start with... you," she looked directly at Raven, "You'll be reporting to Dr. Paylor Sakaki's office for your debriefing." She turned to Kota next. "You will follow for yours in ten minutes. Until then, you are free to tour the facility as you wish. Welcome to Fenrir's Far East Branch, which we affectionately call 'The Den'. This is your home now: these teammates and allies are all your new family. Godspeed." At her last words, Tsubaki turned and left the lobby.

"Wow... scary." Kota slumped, relaxing his stance. "At least she's easy on the eyes. So Raven, I guess you'd better get going huh? I'll catch ya again sometime. Later."

 _What a character!_ She thought as she watched Kota trot off. _At least he's a friendly guy. Maybe_ _ **too**_ _friendly. At least he doesn't seem to be a pervert._

Raven decided she'd better head to that lab. After more wandering and asking around, she eventually found the lab. As she entered, she could immediately see two men waiting for her. One man was wearing a brown lab coat and a... kilt? The bespectacled man was frantically typing away on multiple computers and seemed excited about something.

"Didn't expect that," he said without looking up from the screens, "You're precisely 726 seconds before I expected. Interesting."

"Uh...?" Raven was caught off guard by the man's odd comment.

"I am Paylor Sakaki - hehe. _Doctor_ Paylor Sakaki. The chief of Aragami Tech and R &D. I'm certain we'll be seeing quite a lot of each other over the coming days. Welcome aboard, New-Type!"

 _Again with that "New-Type" business..._ "It's _Raven!_ " Raven said, showing more annoyance than she meant.

"Raven it is then," the doctor continued, "As you can see, I'm still a touch busy at the moment. Things to do, screens to watch, uh..." he seemed distracted for a moment, then turned briefly over a shoulder at the lab coat-clad blonde at his side, "Johannes, why don't you do your speech-thing and then I'll go."

The man glanced Sakaki's way, "Sure, though Doctor, I think it is high time you learn to prioritize between work and personal research."

 _What a weirdo._ Raven got the impression that Sakaki was eccentric and a bit obsessive. If ever a man fit the bill for a lab researcher, it was Sakaki. She wasn't sure what to make of the oddball.

The lab coated man turned back towards Raven. "Thank you for taking part in the Aptitude Test. I know it is not pleasant. My name is Johannes von Shicksal. I'm the Director of the Far East Branch, reporting directly to Fenrir."

 _This is the big-cheese, huh? Seems kinda uptight..._ Raven observed as Johannes continued, "Once again, congratulations on your acceptance. I know you shall do great things in your time here."

"Don't let the speechifying fool you," Sakaki suddenly cut in, "He's an ex-tech guy. No doubt the New-Type medical exam results are calling to him."

"Okay, I have to ask," Raven cut in, "What is this 'New-Type' everyone's going on and on about? Why is that so special?"

"Nobody explained it to you?" Johannes seemed a little surprised.

"Allow me to explain," Sakaki looked up briefly, "You are the Far East's first God Eater of the second generation. Your God Arc is a specially-made model that only New-Types can wield. That is to say nothing of your superior stats. Just look at these magnificent numbers, Johannes! Some of these stats are off the chart! Raven'll be a God Eater to watch, that's for sure!"

"Your direct duties, while crucial are simple. You God Eaters hunt down and destroy Aragami and gather their materials. These materials are then converted-"

"Oh, wow!" Sakaki suddenly blurted, "Haha this is amazing! Just look at this, Johannes!"

"Paylor! If you don't mind, I'm trying to help this rookie learn what she needs to know about being a God Eater for Fenrir."

"Haha, so sorry old pal," Sakaki's grin widened as he continued to type, "I've never seen stats like this before! Who knew such dormant potential lay right under our collective noses?"

"Yes, impressive indeed," Johannes said coolly, "However I do believe you're flustering the New-"

"It's RAVEN." Raven was starting to get a little pissed.

"...Raven. You're clearly annoying her." Johannes continued.

 _Wow, way to deflect._ She thought to herself.

Johannes cleared his throat. "At any rate, you will be collecting Aragami materials to fund this base, and to supply the upcoming 'Aegis Project.'"

 _Does he never stop talking?_ Raven found herself distracted by her thoughts as Johannes continued his speech. So she wasn't just a soldier, but a glorified scavenger? Great. Just great. Her mother would be _so_ proud to know this...

"I have great expectations of you, Raven. Do Fenrir proud and fight the good fight. You are free to leave. Paylor, make sure to send me those stat reports when you're through analyzing them. I want to view them myself."

"Of course, Johannes, of course! Well, goodbye, N-..."Sakaki stopped himself on spotting Raven's growing scowl, "Raven! We'll meet again soon, I'm sure. Until then, adieu!"

 _Finally! That took long enough!_ Raven nodded respectfully and left the lab. The day wasn't even half-over and she already felt tired. She had no idea debriefings could be so damn dull! She noticed Lindow coming down the hall her way.

"Oh, hey Rook, just who I needed to see," he waved cordially.

 _How damn hard is it for these Fenrir idiots to remember my name!?_ Taking a deep breath, she waved back respectfully.

"So, let's get down to business. We have a mission coming up. It's just an Ogretail, so it should be a breeze for a New-Type like you."

"What?" she blurted. Was it time to fight Aragami already?! She had absolutely no clue what to do... "But I have no idea how to fight at all!"

"Relax, kid, that's what I'm here for. You'll be fine, I promise. Just remember just one rule I have for all missions, got it?" A smile spread across Lindow's face. "Don't die."

 _That's encouraging..._ Raven thought sarcastically.

"C'mon, Raven. Let's head for the chopper. We got an Ogretail that needs killing."

Raven nodded. "Okay." _Wait a second! He remembered my name!_ Raven was so surprised by Lindow using her name for a change that she nearly got left behind and had to run and catch up with the senior God Eater. Her first mission was here! She hadn't even been a God Eater for a day and already there was a mission! She could only wonder what those Aragami would be really like as she raced to catch Lindow.


	7. Chapter 5: Insurgence

_Insurgence_

Falcon sat on a couch in the Central Shelter, lost in thought. She was finally a God Eater, but still unable to do a damn thing. The idea pissed her off more than she wanted to admit. But Ryo had a point. Even though she was feeling more than a bit weak, she could still protect the shelter. That was what she had to settle for.

But the suspense was killing her!

"This seat taken?"

Falcon looked up from her seat to find Yuuki standing in front of her. She patted the empty spot next to her on the couch and smiled. At least she'd still have Edge to talk to, or this would be just unbearable. "Yuuki, are you a sight for sore eyes. How's everything looking out there?"

He shrugged. "I don't know very much. I was in the North Yard having a snowball fight with Mink and Orchid when the attack alarm went off. Last I heard, its four Chi-Yous and a swarm of Zygotes lead by a pair of Polar Kongou."

Mink, or Maribel Foster as she was formally known, was a bouncy, hyperactive, clown of a girl. She was seventeen, but unmatched, making her one of the older trainees. Falcon didn't know Mink that well, as she was in a different division along with her sister. She _did_ know that Mink had the reputation of being a total goofball and a huge flirt. Mink and Ocelot were quite fond of each other, and were often seen plotting mischief together. Chances were that any prank in Frostpeak could be attributed to either Mink or Ocelot, usually the former.

Then there was Orchid. Her true name was Natalie Foster, but few used that name. Orchid had been matched just three months ago to a European Arc, making her one of only a handful of kids with this type of God Arc. She was Mink's older twin, but the two couldn't be more different. They both sported the same white hair and blue eyes, but their personalities were polar opposites. Orchid was very quiet, to the point of being severely introverted. She _did_ love to sing though, and was part of a small but popular house-band in Frostpeak alongside her sister. The band was called Griffin, and was named for Orchid's habit of going onstage wearing a bird costume, while Mink would wear a lioness costume and dance. When she wasn't practicing her singing, Orchid could often be found in the library, writing lyrics. As for battle ability, Orchid didn't seem to have any special talent, in spite of having P49 like most of the other kids. This fact often depressed her, but she usually hid it well. Falcon and Orchid were very good friends, almost as close as she, Ocelot, and Edge were.

"Are the twins alright?" Falcon asked.

Edge's face fell further and he shook his head. "I don't know. We got chased by one of the Chi-Yous and had to split up. Orchid had my back, and she kept the Chi-You off of me. I managed to escape inside, but Orchid ran the other way to find her sister. Last I knew, she and Ocelot were harrying the Chi-You, trying to protect a group of trainees..."

Falcon's unease intensified. "I wish I could at least see what's going on..." Just then, Falcon got a small idea. She pulled out her tablet and began tinkering away with the device. In no time, she had linked up to the surveillance cameras and was trying to find one that showed the North Yard.

After tapping into camera after camera without much success, she finally found a link that looked promising. The vantage showed a high view of the North Yard and a good portion of the northern Wall. Falcon guessed this might be one of the scout cameras. Soldiers and officers spread out in all directions as Zygotes swarmed over the top of the wall. Falcon could see there were charged and polar Fallen types mixed in with normal Zygotes. There had to be at least two dozen of them, and that was only what she could see! Tweaking a few more settings allowed her to control the camera, and she adjusted the angle of her view.

"Is that okay?" Edge asked, "You might get in trouble..."

"These cameras are linked to the internal network. All I did was override the automatic control temporarily." Falcon tweaked the angle of the camera one last time. "Besides, I can't stand not knowing what's happening out there."

She noticed the janitor from earlier leaning over her shoulder curiously. "Sweet mercy, that's a lot of Aragami!" she said, "I hope the soldiers can handle it."

"There's at least a couple dozen by my count..." Edge hummed as he observed the screen. "It doesn't look like most of the larger Aragami have showed up yet."

Falcon rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "Good. That means the snipers can get some shots in without worrying about the other Chi-You or the Kongou trying to counter."

Falcon could only watch what was happening. God Eaters ran to and fro, chasing and attacking groups of Zygotes and making the scene chaotic and hard to follow. She could see Ocelot fending off two Zygotes while Mink and Orchid hid behind a corridor. Orchid was popping out from behind the wall periodically, firing off Shotgun rounds between Ocelot's jabs and lunges. Frost and Oni had one of the Chi-Yous cornered between them and were taking turns attacking and distracting it. A third Zygote suddenly flew in from high up, launching a poisonous cloud from its tail. Orchid turned and deployed her shield as she shoved Mink out of the way. She successfully blocked the attack, and gave her sister the opening she needed to flee from her hiding place and into the fort.

"Looks like Mink managed to escape," Edge commented with a sigh of relief, "Good. I was concerned for a bit there when that Zygote came in from behind the twins like that."

The janitor wrung her hands nervously, "I just hope they can finish them before the Aragami reach us. If they do breach the Wall, we'll-"

The comment was cut short by the door slamming open. A breathless Mink was bent over against her knees in the doorway. "Bad...! Bad...! Bad, bad!" she panted, pointing over her back repeatedly.

"What's happening?" Falcon asked, standing up, "Are you alright?"

"Never better... thanks to... 'Lil Sis..." Mink continued to gesture wildly at the ceiling, "The Kongou...! They're... on the roof!"

"What!" Edge shot up, "Is anyone in pursuit?!"

"Dunno... blah," Mink wavered on her feet, stumbling as she tried to walk, "I'm so... tired... fading... fast..."

Falcon rushed forward and caught Mink by an arm she took a bad step and fell. Mink grinned slightly up at her, seeming more than a little bit confused. Now that she was closer, Falcon could see that Mink was not unharmed; she had suffered an acid-like burn to her upper back. The exposed skin was covered in black burn marks and looked painful. "Mink! You're _not_ okay! You've been poisoned!"

"I'll get the medkit!" Edge was already running to fetch the emergency first-aid kit from the far side of the room.

"When'd the room... get so spinny?" Mink slurred in a daze, "Huh? Whazzat? Who said... pie? I want pie too!"

"I'm going to get a medic!" The janitor ran out the door in a rush, nearly running right into a startled refugee as she bolted.

"It's just a pineapple, so don't be scared," Mink babbled as she pointed to the sky and almost fell over backwards. "Wow, it's only Sunday, Mommy!"

"Don't try to talk, Mink," Falcon guided the bewildered girl onto the couch, "Just lie down and-"

"Whaaaaat?" the delusional trainee continued to spout nonsense, "Three times two is... coconut?" Mink's eyes suddenly went wide and she sat up and tried to stand again, "And my pants are still on the dog! No time to season the chopsticks!"

"Maribel! Get a hold of yourself!" Falcon grabbed Mink by the shoulders and guided her back to a prone position, "Calm down and stop struggling! You're hurt!"

Mink gasped and grabbed Falcon by the waist, pulling her down to her level. "No tinsel please! I want to flyyyyy!"

Falcon felt her face redden. "Maribel! Stop that! Let go!"

"I found the medkit, Falcon!" Falcon glanced up and saw Edge kneeling down and rummaging through the supplies. "Now where's the-?"

"I EAT SAUSAGE!" Mink shouted in Falcon's face. Edge coughed into his arm to hide a laugh as Falcon rubbed her ears.

"Damn... she's out of control!" Falcon shook her head to chase off the ringing in her ears, "Yuuki, find that medicine!"

"I-I have it!" Edge stood back up, holding a bottle of medicine, "Hold her down so I can inject this into her."

Falcon changed her position to get better leverage over the increasingly erratic girl as Mink lunged and tried to bite her in the face. Falcon pinned Mink's shoulders down, and Edge jabbed a syringe into Mink's right arm. The effects struck quickly. Mink stopped struggling and seemed to relax. She groaned softly and fell limp against the couch. Her body relaxed and her head lolled to the side as she caught her breath.

"Mink? You feeling better now? Say something," she asked Mink. Mink remained unresponsive, but at least she didn't seem delusional anymore.

Falcon stood upright and looked at Edge worriedly. "Was that the right medicine? She looks really bad..."

Edge's brow furrowed. "I'm sure it was! This isn't good..." Edge felt Mink's wrist, checking her pulse. He seemed alarmed and pulled out another syringe and injected it into Mink as well.

"She's very weak," Edge dug around in the medkit for more medicine. "I've given the antidote already, so I'm giving her some painkillers to help those burns. What I really need is a Recovery Pill..."

"Dammit..." Falcon shook her head, "Why? Why is this happening?" Falcon knelt down and held Mink's hand. "Mink... Mink, hang in there, okay?"

"Sorry! One side! Medic coming through! Excuse me!" Falcon looked up to see three of Frostpeak's doctors barging through the gathering crowd towards them. She was so busy trying to help Mink that she didn't notice the refugees crowding around her until just now. Apparently they'd been watching the whole thing. Two of them were carrying a stretcher and a third had a large bag with him.

"Is this the patient?" he asked, "What happened to her?"

"Zygote poison," Falcon explained quickly, "Please, can you help Maribel?"

The medic checked her over quickly, then looked back at Falcon. "It looks like the poison was successfully neutralized, but she's not out of the woods just yet. She'll need more treatment for her wounds. Help us get her on the stretcher."

Just as she made to help the doctor, a loud bang from the ceiling startled Falcon and made her look up. Her headset buzzed and a voice came through, laced with crackles and heavy static. "Can you read me? Natalie, Maribel, Lillia, Yuuki, anyone! Respond, dammit!"

"Ryo?" Falcon pressed the speaker a little closer to her ear as the medics hurried Mink onto the stretcher, "I hear you."

"Falcon, you have to evacuate the Shelter!" Ocelot's voice rang out, "Move everyone to the bunkers! We've got Kongou on the roof! Two polar types! I'm chasing them down, but they keep splitting up! Get the civilians out of there before those damn monkeys break in!" Anything else Ocelot was saying was drowned out by a rumbling and another, even louder bang. By now, the refugees were staring up at the ceiling, murmuring, pointing, and backing up towards the exits.

"What's going on?" she saw that Edge was staring too, "I thought I heard something about the Aragami over the comm, but I'm getting a lot of static..."

"We've got Aragami on the roof. We need to evacuate immediately!" Falcon picked up her God Arc and announced loudly, "Attention in the shelter! We have an Aragami incursion! All non-combat personnel need to relocate to the underground bunkers immediately!" The din of thew crowd fell silent for a brief moment, then shouts and panicked screams rolled through the people.

Falcon spoke up again, waving her arms in a vain attempt to recapture the civilians' attention, "Listen to me! We need to pull it together! Order! Order!" Her cries went unheeded as refugees swarmed the doors, knocking into each other and shoving her repeatedly. "Stop panicking! What's wrong with you people? Don't you remember the evac drills?!"

"Aaah! Stop that! Don't kick me! Ow! OW!" Falcon looked down to find that Edge had been knocked off his feet as the throng pressed the exits. They kept stepping on him and kicking him about as they strained to flee. "Let me up! Ouch! Stop standing on my-! Ow! Quit it!"

Falcon crouched down to help Edge up, only to be surprised by another loud bang and a metallic screech. She looked up in startled surprise and saw a gaping hole in the ceiling. An Aragami had peeled off one of the roof panels, exposing the humans inside like a can of vegetables. Windblown snow poured in through the gash and was quickly blocked off by a huge, simian face. An arm suddenly thrust through the hole and clawed at the ceiling, raking at anything nearby. One refugee could not run away in time and was within reach. Acting on instinct, Falcon switched her Arc to gun mode and took aim. She was not quite able to react in time, and the refugee was scooped up by the lunging Kongou. Her eyes widened in horror as the shocked man was dragged up through the roof. Panic flared anew through the crowd as terrible wet squelching, tearing noises erupted from the hole amid his dying screams. Falcon backed towards the wall, her revulsion overwhelming her. Her hands shook and her mind went numb, making it impossible to aim or even think.

"No! Don't eat me!"

"They're coming for us!"

"I don't want to die!"

"Where are the God Eaters?!"

"Every man for himself!"

"God save us!"

"We're all going to die!"

Falcon glared over at the hole, dragging herself out of her shock and taking several deep breaths to settle her nerves. _Remember your training, soldier. Discipline. Order. Focus. And stop panicking! You're a freakin' God Eater for heaven's sake! You're literally a born warrior! Not only that, you're the only thing between these people and the Aragami's bellies! Pull it together, or they all die!_

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she hoisted her God Arc over a shoulder. Falcon forced her way through the fleeing crowd until she was standing directly under the hole in the roof. She looked up to get a clear bead, and instantly regretted it. The polar Kongou was covered in the bloody remains of its kill, still munching on an unidentifiable piece of its prey. Falcon had to concentrate to avoid getting sick and only barely managed to stave off a dry heave. Summoning her will, she raised her gun and aimed. The beast saw her and grinned in malice, exposing a maw full of pointed fangs. It threw the rest of its meal aside and leaped through the hole in the roof, nearly landing directly on top of her. By now, the remaining dozen civilians were tangled up by the exits, screaming and gesturing to the Aragami in a frenzy. Falcon changed her Arc to melee mode and held the scythe in a double-handed grip before her. The monkey reared onto its haunches and banged its chest with its fists and roared. She waved her Arc and shouted right back. She knew full well that Aragami don't get intimidated by mere gestures and yelling. She was only hoping to distract the beast for a moment so the remaining civilians could flee.

The creature balled its fist and loosed a massive punch at Falcon's front. She tried to deploy her shield, but her timing was not quite perfect. Its thundering strike sent her backwards several yards and made Falcon stumble. She slashed with an overhead blow and hit the Kongou directly in the face with the edge of her blade. It screeched and wiped its face with a paw. Falcon took advantage of its cringe and took a step forwards. She lashed out again and spun her scythe in an arc, doling out multiple, rapid slashes across its body. The Kongou roared and arched its back, sucking in air for a blast from its cannons. Falcon backed towards the nearest exit as the last of the civilians fled the shelter. She deployed her shield just as the Kongou blasted its cannons at her. Her block was more successful this time, but the wind still swept her back and slammed her into the far wall. Stars swam in front of her vision as she struggled back to her feet.

"Falcon! Don't fight it! Fall back!"

Falcon glanced over a shoulder and saw Edge rushing to the nearby exit and urging her to leave. "You can't fight like this! You'll get yourself killed, Lillia! C'mon and get over here!"

" _You_ get out of here!" she barked back, "I'll buy us some time!" Falcon spun her scythe again, catching the Kongou's left arm in a swipe and impaling it against the wall. The furious beast lunged with its free paw and swatted her on the side with a backhanded slap. She was flung again, this time slamming against the door by the exit and crashing into Edge. Her Arc was ripped from her hands and remained lodged in the wall. Dizzy and dazed, Falcon tried to stand. A sharp pain in her thigh made her scream in pain. Her right leg gave out and she collapsed to her knees.

"Lillia, you're wounded! Can you stand?!" Edge slid his shoulder under her arm and helped Falcon to her feet. The initial pain had subsided a bit, and she was able to stand with some difficulty. She examined her injury and found a deep puncture wound in her leg. Her white uniform ran red with a large, growing spot of blood. Falcon put a hand on the wound to keep pressure on it, and blood oozed between her fingers. She gritted her teeth and glared towards the Kongou. It kept trying to grab Falcon's God Arc and tear it out of its arm, but flinched and recoiled every time it touched the biological weapon.

"C'mon, now's our chance! Go, go, go!" Edge half-dragged, half-pushed Falcon out the door as she stumbled to follow. They were blocked almost immediately by a stray Zygote in the hall. Falcon only had the time to blink in astonishment before the femme fatale screamed out a war cry and dove across the hall at them. Acting on instinct, the two trainees hit the floor as the Aragami swooped like a hawk over their heads. Falcon shot a glance over her shoulder and saw the Kongou had torn loose from the wall. Its left arm was mangled and bleeding, but it was now free to pursue. It also blocked Falcon's chance to retrieve her Arc.

Unarmed and wounded, panic took hold of her once again. Falcon bolted down the hall with Edge close at her side as the two Aragami gave chase. Falcon fled down another corridor and was greeted with the sight of still another Zygote. Falcon recalled how terribly Mink had been hurt by just one errant shot from a Zygote. Edge was not a God Eater and would surely be killed at this range! She pulled Edge behind her. Even though she was wounded herself, she could take the upcoming shot.

"W...we're surrounded!" Edge stammered, pressing close to Falcon's side, "What do we do?!"

Falcon had no words. She had no answer to give. All she could do was press against one of the walls in hopes it could partially protect her and Edge. Edge whimpered in fear behind her as the Zygote cried out and aimed its tail in their faces. She scrunched her eyes shut and shielded her face. She didn't want to see what was going to happen.

Except, the expected blast of venom never came. Instead, Falcon heard a loud bang and the scream of a Zygote. Falcon opened her eyes to find the Zygote dying on the ground. Ocelot was standing behind the beast, his Sniper Rifle smoking.

"You two alright?" Ocelot shook his head at his own question, "That was stupid of me. Of course you aren't. You two almost died!"

Edge sighed in relief. "Ryo! You saved our hides big time!"

Ocelot grinned. "Hey, save the thanks for when the Aragami are cleaned out, okay Edge?" his jovial grin fell as he laid eyes on Falcon's leg. "Lillia! Your leg...!"

Falcon shook her head. "I'll manage. Thanks for-"

"What'd I just say?" Ocelot's joshing tone returned, "Cut that out. But seriously, what happened to your God Arc, Falcon? You didn't forget it did you?"

"I had to leave it back in the shelter when I nailed a Kongou to the wall."

Ocelot laughed, "You what?" his face suddenly changed to worry, "Wait, wait, wait, _what?!_ You were fighting? Your Bias Factor-"

"I know, but I had no choice!" Falcon said, "Besides, don't we have bigger problems right now?"

"Like _that_ one?!" Edge pointed down the hall. The wounded Kongou and the second Zygote had caught up to them and were squaring off at the far end of the hall.

"Oh shit!" Ocelot changed his Arc to Spear form. He bared his weapon at the Aragami as they cried out and charged towards them. "Okay, okay, change of plans. We'll cut our way out!"


	8. Chapter 6: First Blood

_First Blood_

Raven fidgeted in her seat as the chopper departed the Den. Lindow had taken a seat next to her and was smiling kindly at her. Raven was too wrapped up in her thoughts again to start a conversation. This was it, time to fight an Aragami. The idea still greatly worried her, and Raven couldn't stop thinking about the upcoming mission...

"Hey relax, Rook. It'll be fine."

She shot him a look. "Raven."

"Right, sorry Raven." Lindow's lax grin told her he still wasn't taking it seriously. "Anyways, just do as I say and you'll be golden. Ogretails may be small-fry, but they're still Aragami. It's just one though. We'll kill it, then be home in time for dinner."

Raven hummed in acknowledgment. Several minutes passed as the chopper drew closer to a ruined city. Ruined buildings littered the land, resembling giant tombstones. Huge holes were chewed through the skyscrapers and left the cityscape looking very abstract and dismal. Raven guessed the city might have been majestic in the time before the Aragami.

And speaking of Aragami, what were those things down there? Raven leaned closer to the window to get a better look. The field was dotted with figures about the size of a human. They kind of resembled humanoid dolls wrapped in an oval shell. Were these the Ogretails that Lindow said she had to fight?

When Raven didn't reply to his commentary, Lindow cleared his throat. "So Raven, got anybody special you seeing?"

 _That's none of your business!_ Raven just gave Lindow another look.

"Hey, sorry again," Lindow waved his hands, "Don't glare like that. I always think missions go easier when you get to come home to a smiling lady, that's all."

Lindow broke the ensuing silence again. "So, Raven. I read up on your bio in NORN. You grew up in the Outer Ghettos?" She nodded and he said, "Rough place. What did you do for a living?"

"Scrap peddler."

"Dangerous work in its own right. Scavengers can be a seriously rotten bunch of cockroaches. No offense." Lindow looked out the window, seeming to be thinking about something. "I hear the Ghetto doesn't have a great opinion of God Eaters. They think we're elitist and privileged and hold back on supplies as a means of political warfare. What about you? What do _you_ think about us?"

Raven shrugged. "Haven't had a lot of contact with them. Rumors were pretty wild though. Supposedly you are half-Aragami warriors who kill and eat Aragami," she stared down at her armlet, "Well, I guess that includes me now, doesn't it?"

That made Lindow laugh. "Half-Aragami warriors, huh? Well, I guess it isn't a _complete_ lie. We God Eaters have Oracle Cells in our bodies. That makes us kind of Aragami-ish. _We_ don't eat them though. Our God Arcs do, in a manner of speaking."

Raven looked down at the God Arc in her lap. "No kidding? This sword... can eat them?!"

Lindow nodded once. "Yup, that's right. They're Aragami too. It's a damn good thing they're on our side huh?"

Raven stared at her God Arc. It was an Aragami?! But how was that possible? It looked like a giant sword, nothing more. She recalled what happened during the test, when her armlet and her sword both extended vines and interacted somehow. What else was this sword hiding?

"T-1 minute until arrival at the City of Mercy. Prepare for deployment."

Raven looked about, perplexed as to where the voice came from all of a sudden. "Who said that?"

A small laugh rolled out, "Didn't anyone tell you?" Now Raven realized the voice was coming from her armlet. She recognized it was that red-haired girl from the Den, Hibari. "I'm the Den's operator. I'll be in radio contact with you during your missions, so stay in touch, okay?"

"Alright." Raven replied aloud. There was a radio in these things. Good to remember. That might come in handy if she got separated from Lindow or something.

"Alright, we're here. Up and at, em', kid. Time to hunt." Lindow rose from his seat and jumped out of the hatch, and down the last several feet to the ground. Raven grabbed her sword and jumped after him. The chopper rose and departed the moment she landed.

"They're leaving us?!" Raven stared after the chopper in disbelief.

Another small laugh from Hibari, "Don't get worried, Raven. They're just retreating out of shooting range. Wouldn't want our choppers downed by an Aragami. They'll be in comm range in case things get dicey."

Lindow pointed over to one of the doll-like creatures. "Didn't expect those here. Oh well. Cocoon Maidens are a snap if you just watch your distance and avoid getting stabbed." He looked over at Raven, another of his casual smiles crossing his face, "Hey that gives me an idea, Rook."

"Raven!" She corrected again.

Lindow laughed. "Lighten up Raven, I'm just messing with you. At any rate, you're our New-Type, so that means you can just pick these guys off easy with your gun."

"My gun?" Raven looked down at the _sword_ in her hands. "Uh, Lindow? This isn't a gun."

Lindow's smile broadened in amusement. "Of course it isn't. Do that form-changing thing you New Types do."

Raven looked down at her God Arc, tilting her head in confusion. "What?"

Lindow nodded encouragingly, "Go on, Raven. Tell your Arc what you need it to do."

 _Tell it what I need? Just... talk or something?_ "Alright sword, turn into a gun." Raven stared at her weapon, dumbfounded. When the sword remained a sword, she scowled and glared at Lindow. Was he deliberately making her look like a dork?!

Lindow laughed again with an even bigger grin. "No, no, not like that!" He tapped Raven on the forehead. "Tell your God Arc to change in _here._ "

 _I don't know if I trust you now..._ Raven looked down at the sword again. _Change._ She directed her thought at her God Arc, imagining it transforming and willing the weapon to respond. This felt stupid, but she didn't think Lindow was deliberately teasing her either. The blade whirled and spun, panels opened, and gears whirred into life. The blade morphed right before Raven's eyes and reassembled itself. In just a few seconds, she was no longer holding a sword, but a giant rifle. Raven stared in astonishment at the new weapon.

"Good, it worked," Lindow nodded in approval, "I had a hunch it was the same technique as a Devour. Good thing I was right, because we need that gun."

 _Devour? What is he talking about?_ Before she could ask him the question, Lindow put a hand on her shoulder and pointed to the nearest doll-like Aragami. "See that kinda childlike thing in a cloak over there? Cocoon Maiden. They can't move, but they _can_ fire orbs of energy from their hoods and launch stabbing thorns from their bodies. I see you have a Sniper Rifle." He nodded once in approval, "Nice. That's exactly what we needed. I want you to take a pot shot or two at that Cocoon Maiden. You should be able to nail it a few times before it notices us."

"Shoot it?" Raven examined her gun critically, "Where do I load this thing?"

Lindow chuckled again. "It'll use your own Oracle Cells as ammunition. Don't worry about it, you can refill with some Devouring later." Lindow readied his own God Arc as he gestured to the enemy, "Just try firing at it, okay? I got your back."

Raven raised her gun and aimed at the Cocoon Maiden. She took a deep breath and stared down her scope at her enemy, hands shaking slightly. _Here goes nothing_. She centered her sights and squeezed the trigger. To her alarm, a giant, blue bolt of energy spat out and careened towards her target. It exploded on the Maiden's head, and it pivoted in place to face her.

"I thought you said they don't move!" Raven protested as the angry creature groaned at her and flared its shell in a threat display.

"They don't. It just spun in place is all. Look alive, I think it's going to counter!" Lindow warned. The Maiden flared its hood, erecting a bud like structure over its head. To Raven's surprise, an orb shot out of the flower and went sailing towards her. Lindow jumped in the way with surprising speed, shoving Raven aside as the energy hit him square on the chest. In spite of getting shot, Lindow seemed mostly unfazed. Raven could tell from the brief face he made that it wasn't painless though.

"Try and dodge that next time, got it?" Lindow encouraged with an easygoing smile, "It's easy if you don't let them surprise you and watch out for that bud on its face."

 _You could've told me that earlier..._ Raven saw the enemy flare its bud again. "Lindow! The Maiden!"

Lindow easily sidestepped the Maiden's next shot, making Raven blink in surprise. Maybe it really _was_ just that easy. "Change to melee and close in," he ordered, "We'll practice some mano-a-mano now that it's seen us."

"Alright." Raven focused, willing her Arc to transform. It shifted again, reforming into its usual sword form. She saw Lindow rush in from the right, causing the Aragami to rotate towards him.

"Close in and watch out if it flares its shell!" Lindow warned as he brought his sword down on the Aragami's body, "Go!"

 _Time to earn my keep, I guess. Let's see what I can do!_ Raven took a deep breath and charged. The Maiden was facing Lindow, and she couldn't see what it was up to. She slashed from behind, making the creature growl in anger. As it spun to face her, she let it have another slash, and caught its shell. Raven could feel her blade lose a bit of momentum as it bit through the creature's armor. It growled again and flared its shell open. Raven took the opportunity to drive her sword into its body. The Maiden moaned and shot out a series of black thorns, several of which stabbed her in the torso. With a shriek of pain, she fell onto her knees as the Maiden withdrew its spears. Raven was sure she should be dying, but the stabs didn't hurt nearly as much as she thought they should've. In fact, it didn't hurt that badly at all!

Something triggered inside her, and her unease and fear was suddenly replaced with a feral survival instinct forged in the Ghettos. Memories of several days ago flashed through her mind: memories of how she had to fight for her life against those three armed scavengers. It was no less than do or die. The only difference between then and now, was that she was facing an inhuman monster. Ultimately, the goal was the same: one of them must die, and she'd be damned if it would be her!

Shit was about to get very, _very_ real.

 _You want to play this game?! Then let's go at it, bitch! I'll take you on!_ Raven's fury flared up, and she found herself glaring hatefully at the Maiden before her. It only responded by opening its shell for another volley. She held her stance low and took another stab at the monster. The Maiden's spiked zinged out overhead. One particularly low-lying spike grazed her head, but she dodged the rest. Raven barely even registered the scratch. She lashed out once again, with a slash to its head this time. The creature groaned one last time and slumped, its shell panels going limp.

"Way to go, Raven!" Lindow nudged the fallen Aragami with his boot. "I'd swear this isn't your first scrap. Not too shabby. You nailed it good!"

"I killed it?" Raven stared suspiciously at the twitching Maiden.

"Not quite. You need to deal one last deathblow to truly kill it. Watch me carefully, Rook." Raven opened her mouth to correct Lindow again, but was startled by what was happening to his sword. The blade was retracting and a set of black, ragged jaws slithered out.

 _His sword just grew jaws! It's..._ _ **alive?!**_ She had so many questions right now, but she was stunned speechless by the sight of Lindow's weapon. Instead, Raven's eyes widened and she backed away in surprise. Lindow seemed completely unfazed by his sword's transformation. In fact, he took a step forwards. The fanged sword lunged, seemingly of its own accord, and tore a chunk of material out of the Aragami's chest. The Maiden's twitching ceased immediately and it collapsed to the ground, emitting a strange, black mist.

"Got it. Now it's done for." Lindow grinned again as his sword's jaws retracted into the blade. As they withdrew, a small purple orb fell to the ground with a clack. Lindow picked it up and held it like a trophy, "Take a look at this, kid. It's an Aragami core."

"A... core?" Raven approached, half-interested and half-freaked out. Lindow held out the "core" to Raven, and she took it in her free hand. "What's this for?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Lindow chuckled a little. "It's basically an Aragami's brain." Lindow laughed even harder when Raven balked and dropped the organ in astonished disgust.

Raven was _not_ amused. She wiped her hand on her leggings repeatedly, making a nasty face all the while. "Ugh, gross! What the hell'd you give me _that_ for?!"

"It's part of the job description, Raven. You can't kill an Aragami without ripping its core out. Well, destroying the core works too, but..." Lindow scooped up the core and pocketed it, "we need these things. The little ones are a good source of Oracle, and the bigger ones can become the heart of a God Arc. So you see, these cores are serious loot. Grab as many as you can."

"That's how you kill Aragami? Rip out its brain?!" Raven looked back to where the Maiden had fallen, only to discover the body was... vanishing? As she watched, the Maiden's body was dissolving away into still more black mist. "Is that normal?" she asked with more than a little apprehension.

"Yeah. Aragami are just a colony of Oracle Cells. Remove the core, and the whole thing falls apart. The remaining Oracle Cells will eventually form new Aragami though." Lindow hoisted his Arc over a shoulder. "Ah, speak of the devil. Look what just showed up to the party."

Raven followed Lindow's gaze. A new Aragami was walking into the area, apparently drawn by the battle. The bipedal creature stood at the hip as tall as she did, slightly larger than the Cocoon Maiden. It sported a broad, small-eyed head with a huge mouth. It also sported an unsettling mix of smooth skin and a patch of fur along its back. The thing saw them right away and stared for a moment.

"Ogretail. No tougher than a Cocoon Maiden," Lindow said as the Aragami shrieked and ran at them, "Go for it, Rook! Get that monster!"

Raven held her sword in a ready stance as the Ogretail charged full-speed at her with jaws wide. She tried to dodge its lunge, but Raven was still headbutted aside easily. She rolled quickly away just in time to miss the Ogretail's snapping jaws. It growled and curled its tail underneath its body. Raven saw an opening and decided to close in for an attack. To Raven's surprise, the enemy sprang forwards at Lindow with surprising speed, talons bared for a pounce. Lindow apparently couldn't get away in time, and was tackled from the front. Raven rushed to intercept the foe. Before she could reach Lindow, he'd countered with a vicious stab to the Aragami's chin and skull. It screamed and threw its head, ripping Lindow's God Arc from its face. Its thrashing left the Ogretail with a gaping head wound that would have easily ended a normal animal. Raven could see that the Ogretail didn't seem to have a brain in that skull somehow. While that explained how it survived being stabbed like that, it was no less disturbing a sight!

Raven shook herself out of her gawking. There would be time for Q&A later. She lunged and stabbed the Ogretail in the side. The beast cried out and leaped, spinning its tail and slapping Raven in the chest with it. She wasn't able to stand her ground and fell on her side. The Ogretail stepped on her torso, pinning her down. Raven couldn't get the leverage for a counter-attack with her right arm pinned to the ground and her left under the Aragami's paw. All she could do was watch helplessly. The Ogretail keened and opened its jaws wide, aiming for a killing snap. Without another moment to spare, Lindow's God Arc erupted from behind the Ogretail's neck, cleaving its head clean off. The mortally wounded creature's blood sprayed in Raven's face as the beast collapsed and flailed wildly. Somehow, this crazy beast was still alive, even after being decapitated!

 _Okay, that's fucked up. What the hell kind of creatures_ _ **are**_ _these?!_

"Now!" Lindow ordered, "Devour that thing before it gets its bearings!" When Raven returned a querying look, Lindow continued, "It's just like switching forms. Think what you need it to do, Raven!"

Raven tried the same tactic as earlier, imagining her God Arc sprouting jaws this time and willing it to respond. Just like Lindow's earlier, her blade retracted, and a set of ebony, fanged jaws crawled out. She looked towards the fallen Aragami, and the jaws reacted. Like some kind of animal, the jaws lunged out and plunged deep into the Ogretail's body. As the jaws tore loose, the Ogretail finally stopped thrashing and lay limp, decaying away slowly just like the Cocoon Maiden did earlier. The jaws retracted back into the sword. Just like during Lindow's attack earlier, a purple orb rolled out of the jaws. It clattered along the ground and rolled to a stop by Raven's boot.

"Good work." Lindow grabbed the core off the floor and held it out to Raven. "To the victor go the spoils." Raven simply stared at the core. Knowing what it was made the innocent-looking thing seem far less appealing than its gem-like appearance belied. When Raven's only reaction was a stare of revulsion, Lindow pocketed the core again. "How's your first kill feel, kid?"

Raven lowered her eyes. This was insane. There could be no turning back though. This was her job now, her life, her duty. She could not go back to what she was. Still, she wasn't sure she liked what she was forced to become. She wasn't just a soldier, that'd be too easy. She was a scavenger, a warrior, and now a fucking surgeon-butcher. Awesome. Just _awesome._ She also couldn't deny that it was kind of a rush to get out there and fight. All that swordplay left her with a rapidly fading adrenaline rush. She had absolutely no idea what to tell her commanding officer.

"I don't know what I feel, Lindow," she said honestly, "I think I just want to get a shower, then a nap..."


	9. Chapter 7: Ghetto Siblings

_Ghetto Siblings_

Raven's feet dragged as she left the chopper. She was tired, sore, and sticky with Aragami blood and God-knew-what else. She desperately wanted a shower. As she slogged her way down from the roof, she didn't notice Lindow had come up behind her.

"You alright, Raven? You haven't said a word since the mission ended..."

"I'm... fine I think," she turned over her back to him, "I'm tired, I'm covered in blood, and I think I got hurt back there. Frankly, I just want to be alone for a while..."

He clapped a hand on Raven's shoulder. "Buck up. You made it back alive. That's always a plus in my book. I think you'll grow into it, so don't sweat the small stuff, kid."

"Will you just call me _Raven_ already!?"

"Haha, relax, Raven!" Lindow gave her a playful shove, "Don't get so uptight. Focus on what's truly important and you'll be better off, trust me. Go get cleaned up and take five. You've earned it. I got a date to get to, so I'll see you around, Raven." At those last words, Lindow walked off towards the elevator.

 _What's truly important, huh?_ Raven stared off after the officer. _Well, I suppose he has a point. I learned a lot about fighting Aragami today, and I didn't die doing it. I guess it could've gone worse. I best get used to it, or this job is gonna suck ass._

Raven took the lift down to the hall where her room was. As the elevator doors opened, she saw Kota standing in the hall.

"Whoa!" he blurted on seeing Raven covered in Aragami bits, "What the hell happened to you, Raven?!"

"My mission happened, that's what. Let me out, I need a shower."

"I'll say," Kota looked her up and down, "Tell me that's Aragami blood..."

"Lindow cut the head off an Ogretail that was pinning me. I'm mostly okay, just a bit frazzled... and tired... and filthy."

"Wow, seriously? That's rough for a first mission." Kota seemed to relax, only slightly. "You've gotta tell me the whole thing," Kota stepped quickly aside from the door, "Uh, later though. You look like crap. No offense." Raven just grunted an acknowledgment as she dragged herself out of the elevator. "Okay, well better let you go, huh. Let's meet up in the lobby in about fifteen minutes or so. I have something I need to talk to you about. So... see ya?"

Raven didn't bother to reply. Maybe she'd talk with him later, maybe not; she hadn't decided yet. She wasn't exactly in a chatty mood. She went to her room, eager to clean herself up. She wasted no time in stripping her blood and gore covered clothes off and shoving them straight in the washing machine. As she walked into the bathroom, she caught sight of herself in the mirror hanging on the door. Kota was right to get freaked out; she looked like a murder victim covered in blood like this. She wondered if she looked this bad the day she had to kill those scavengers too. Raven took a closer look at her reflection and noticed something. The stab wounds and slashes she suffered from that Cocoon Maiden were already closed and nearly healed up.

 _I guess being a God Eater means I heal fast. Didn't expect that, but it's a nice bonus. Still hurts though. Maybe I should visit a doctor after my shower, just to be sure._

She went to the shower and started to clean herself up. It took her far longer than she planned, but she didn't care. Getting clean felt so good after a dirty, nasty quest like that one. As she showered, she thought about what Lindow told her and the things she learned during the mission. To do her job, she'd need a lot more training, more experience, more learning. All that stuff about Devouring, cores, and how to fight each Aragami... It was a lot to absorb, but she was determined to learn from her mistakes and triumphs today. After finishing cleaning herself up, she went and changed into a clean set of uniforms.

Feeling much more human now, she decided to check out the computer terminal in her room. Raven could see it was loaded with many things: a database called NORN, an email system, a phone, even internet access. She'd never had much experience with computers, and all the menus, features, and systems seemed a bit complex to her. She made a mental note to experiment with this later. That was when she noticed that she already had email. She opened one of the newest messages and saw that it was from Tsubaki informing her of a new mission. Raven had to read and reread it several times to make sure she wasn't reading an old notice. Apparently, she was to report to Hibari for details in half an hour. She was to lead her fellow trainee, Kota, in the assault.

 _Are you kidding me? Another mission_ _ **already?!**_ _And they need me to lead the attack? I really don't feel up to this... Well, no sense getting gloomy over it. Maybe I should go and see what Kota wanted to talk to me about._

Raven left her room and went to the lobby. She found Kota sitting on a couch near the Den gate. He spotted her coming out of the elevator and waved her over.

"Hey, there you are! C'mere, Raven!" He patted the empty spot next to him.

Raven sat down at the proffered seat. "Alright, alright, here I am. What's got you so worked up?"

"Oh, haha, right," Kota scratched his head sheepishly, "I guess I got a bit excited, huh. Well, I was just hoping to chat with you a bit before our mission today." Kota fidgeted in his seat and grinned. "So, I uh, read your bio in NORN."

"You're the second person to tell me that. Just what's in there, that NORN thing I mean?"

"I guess it's some kinda database. It's got info on Aragami, and our missions and people and stuff." Kota shrugged. "I was bored, so I kinda looked around and saw an entry on you. I saw you're from the Outer Ghetto?" When Raven nodded in response, Kota's face brightened. "Sweet! Me too! I'm from the West Wall area, by the gates. Where's your stomping grounds, Raven?"

"North Wall, by the scrapyard."

"North... _scrapyard?_ Wait, wait, wait! Your last name's Hidaka. Hidaka like _Chidori_ Hidaka? You're related to her?!" Raven slowly nodded, not sure what to make of Kota's bizarre reaction. "She's got a seriously dark rep. Nobody screws with Chidori Hidaka, or she messes you up _bad._ She'll beat the crap outta anyone who pisses her off. Is it true she's killed over a dozen men while protecting her shop?"

Raven blinked at the flurry of commentary. She was never afraid of Chidori. In fact, she found the reputation convenient. It helped keep the wusses out of her face. Of course, that same reputation sometimes lead to some strange rumors. "Mom killed a few people in self-defense. So have I. Nowhere near a dozen though, neither of us."

"No way!" Kota's eyes widened and he seemed amazed, fascinated, and intimidated all at once. "Dude, that's... I mean... geez really?" Raven nodded again. He leaned back slightly and stared at her for several moments. Maybe mentioning this to Kota was a bad idea. How could he even trust her after mentioning _that?_ "Oh wow. I don't even... yikes. How many have _you_ killed?"

"Just two. It was self-defense. They were trying to cheat me, then they tried to attack and kidnap me. I had to fight off three machete-wielding dogs with nothing but my knife."

"Damn... you're definitely Chidori's kid!" Kota said in awe, or perhaps it was fear, Raven couldn't quite tell. "That's pretty freakin' crazy! You gotta tell me more!"

Raven shook her head, "It was just yesterday, and I almost died. I don't want to talk about it... so can we change the subject, please?"

"Right... sorry." Kota was still eyeing Raven a little warily. "Well, you've told me a little about you, so it's my turn. Me, my mom, and my sis all lived out on the West side. When I got chosen for the God Eaters, I knew this was my big chance. I could provide for Mom and Sis, and make them happy. So I gotta become someone my family can be proud of."

"Protecting your family's a noble thing to do. I want to make enough money so Mom won't have to be a scrap dealer anymore. I want her to be safe, and to not have to constantly defend herself to survive." Raven leaned back in her seat, folding her arms behind her head, "It sounds like we have the same goal."

"Right?!" Kota's carefree grin widened, "How cool is that? We're like, in sync!" He seemed far more relaxed now and asked, "So, what do you think of being a God Eater?"

Raven thought for a moment. "I'm not sure what to think of Fenrir just yet. When I was recruited, I was kinda pissed off at first. I mean, they just scooped me up off the streets, jammed this thing on my arm, gave me a freakin' living sword, then tossed me into a nest of man-eating monsters? Not cool, not cool at all. I really don't know what to make of all of this..."

"I know what you mean. Well, not really. I kinda volunteered when I found out I was a match. I admit, I'm pretty nervous right now..." Kota grinned and nudged Raven on the back. "At least I get to do my first mission with you! We're like Ghetto-siblings! We gotta just play it cool, stick together, and we'll make it! That's how we roll in the Ghetto: we survive!"

She smiled a bit back at him. Raven was actually relieved to see that Kota didn't seem that scared of her after all. Then again, he'd probably seen some pretty rough times too. Maybe that was why he seemed mostly unafraid of her. "Sure. I've only been on that one mission though, so don't get too excited. I'm still new at this."

"It's cool. I'm new too, remember?" Kota leaned in with another smile, "So, what'd you fight? Was it big?"

"Something Lindow called an Ogretail. I guess it's kinda big, stands about as tall as a human. They're two-legged, big mouthed, and quick on their feet. Apparently, they're very good jumpers too. Seems they like to use their tails as springs to catapult themselves at their enemies. Gotta watch out for their leaping tail-spin too."

"Whoa, seriously? I guess I better be careful, huh. Welp, I think it's time to report in," he beamed and held out a fist, "Hey, Raven! Put it here! To surviving!"

Raven laughed lightly. Kota's enthusiasm was contagious, and she found herself in a far better mood than earlier. "To surviving!" she agreed as she bumped her fist into his. Maybe this mission wouldn't suck after all.

 **o-o-o-o-o**

"T-2 minutes until arrival at the drop zone. Prepare for deployment."

"Got it, Hibari. Thanks," Raven answered the voice from the radio. She leaned to the window, looking out over the City of Mercy. It didn't look any different from last time. She didn't see much in the way of enemies either, just two of those Cocoon Maidens lingering near the drop-off. She thought back to earlier today when she and Lindow killed one of those things. It should be easier now that she knew her enemy...

Right?

"Hey, Raven," Kota piped up from his seat next to her, "You pumped? I sure am! But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared too."

Raven nodded her agreement. "I think I feel a bit more confident this time. I'm still a bit nervous though..."

"Okay, we're here, God Eaters," the pilot called out as he lowered the chopper to the drop point, "Do us a favor and come back alive, okay?"

Kota hopped up and beamed his way, "That's the plan, dude. Alright Raven, let's kick butt!" With that, he hopped out the hatch and down to the ground with Raven close behind.

Raven quickly surveyed her surroundings and immediately noticed something about the Cocoon Maidens that she might be able to use to her advantage. "Lucky for us, those guys up ahead don't move. See how far spread out they are? We might even be able to avoid them entirely if we stay out of sight."

"You mean those aren't the Ogretails we're supposed to be hunting?"

"No, Kota. What we're looking for is a two-legged, kind of dinosaur-looking thing with a furry back and a long tail. Those are just Cocoon Maidens."

"Oh." Kota rubbed his chin, "Big, dinosaur-looking thing huh? I don't see anything like that yet. I guess we'll just have to go find it huh."

 _Does he even know what he's doing? Not that I can claim much better... Well, no point in just standing here. Time to get hunting, I guess._ Raven turned over a shoulder to Kota. "Ready? Let's try to sneak around the Maidens." When she got a thumbs-up and a grin of approval, she decided it was time to move out. Raven carefully picked her way around the perimeter of the area, searching for a way around the Aragami. She wasn't quite careful enough, and the nearest Maiden spun around at her and spread its shell angrily.

"Yikes!" Kota blurted, "It saw us!"

 _Damn. That failed miserably._ _And I forgot to ask what kind of God Arc Kota has! Stupid! I'll have to wing it..._ Raven cursed under her breath as she changed her Arc to gun mode. As she made to launch a shot, suddenly the Maiden whirled towards Kota and stuck its bud out. Raven charged the Maiden, switching back to melee as she closed in. Kota shouted in surprise and shot a wild flurry of bullets at the enemy. Unfortunately, he wasn't watching where he was shooting and nearly hit Raven several times.

"Kota, stop that! You almost hit me!" she shouted as she swung at the monster, "Aim, dammit!"

"Oh crap!" Kota sputtered in alarm, "Sorry! My bad! You okay, Raven!?"

"I'm fine, just watch where you're firing!" The Maiden flared open its shell in preparation for a spike attack. She got an idea just then. All Raven had to do was bide her time for just a moment. Raven sidestepped a volley of thorns and countered with her sword in an attempt to sever the spines. The blade merely glanced off the spikes without causing any damage to them.

 _Damn, so much for cutting the spikes off._ Raven spun and tried to dodge a second assault. Her timing was poor, and Raven was slashed in the left arm by an errant spear. Raven swiped again at the Cocoon Maiden, but failed again. Before she could connect, the monster had lashed out, catching Raven in the left side with its spears. She cried out and grabbed her wound. The Aragami responded to her distraction by blasting her point-blank with an orb. This made her stumble and fall to one knee. Then, the Maiden opened its shell for yet another stab.

 _I've had more than enough of you! Time to end it, Cocoon Maiden!_ Raven shot up and swung again at the Maiden, landing a direct hit to its face and severing its head. The Maiden just silently flipped its bud up over its stumpy neck, seemingly unaffected by its wound.

 _Are you kidding me?_ She angrily cursed herself as she barely avoided getting stabbed again. _What is_ _ **wrong**_ _with these things?! Why don't they just die?!_ Raven shook her head at herself. _Right... the core thing. I have to get it to stop moving so I can-_

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa!_ Incoming dinosaur-thing over here!" Kota shouted as he turned over a shoulder. Sure enough, an Ogretail was tearing across the field at them, keening and snapping its jaws in midair as it charged headfirst towards Kota.

Now, things might get _really_ dangerous. Raven decided to try a new strategy. When the Cocoon Maiden opened its shell again, Raven stood ready. As it fired its thorns, Raven used the side of her blade to parry. To her surprise, a set of panels unfolded from the sword, forming an impromptu shield. The spears glanced harmlessly off the shield, emitting a screech as they scraped across the metal.

 _Didn't expect_ _ **that!**_ _I wish Lindow had told me I have a shield!_ She stared at her sword momentarily as the panels folded back into place.

"Waaah! Raven, help me!" Kota had backed up in Raven's direction, firing haphazardly at the charging Ogretail all the while. Raven saw the Ogretail arch its tail over its head and growl. She knew its pounce had to be coming.

"It's gonna jump! Move it!" she warned. To her surprise, the Ogretail flicked its tail and shot a spray of spikes at both of them. Raven tried to deploy her shield again, but was hit in the right shoulder by a spike instead. Kota's yelp of pain told her that he'd been hit too. Just then, another orb sailed above her and just missed Raven's head.

"Raven, can you read me?! Your vitals are badly in the red! You have to fall back!" Hibari called over the radio.

Kota looked to and fro frantically, "We can't! We're getting rained on here!"

"Heal your injuries, _now!_ " Hibari shouted back, "Find an opening and get to some cover!"

"I got this! Yo, Raven!" Kota threw something Raven's way, "Catch!" Raven barely had time to notice a green ball flying her way before it hit her in the face. She yelped in surprise, but was even more surprised to find that it didn't hurt her one bit. In fact, she actually felt better, much better. Was that some kind of healing item? She would have to ask Kota later. For now, she was just grateful it wasn't another stab from that damn Aragami.

"Thanks, Kota," she said gratefully, "That helped a lot."

"Hey, look out!" Kota warned as he pointed ahead. The Ogretail had its tail under its body again.

"Aaah!" Raven blurted as the Ogretail jumped at her. She bared her blade at it, hoping she could use her shield to block it. Her defense was successful, and the beast's claws scrabbled off the weapon as it slid to the ground. It tried its tail-spin attack in retaliation, but Raven was able to back-step away in time.

 _Dammit, dammit,_ _ **dammit!**_ _This is too much! I gotta get rid of these things, or I'm dead meat!_ Raven whirled back to the Maiden. It had turned away from Raven to aim in Kota's direction. She took advantage of its distraction and slashed at its body again. The blade carved deep into its back and the Aragami fell at last.

 _Yes! Finally turning the tide here!_ Raven quickly tore the core out of the dying Maiden as Kota continued to rain bullets on the circling Ogretail. It lunged and tried to bite at Kota, only to miss instead. Raven saw her chance and rushed in from behind. She jabbed her sword deep into the Ogretail's back and carved out a deep wound. The Aragami spun around and slapped Raven aside with its tail. Raven was knocked off her feet and landed roughly on her back. She saw the Ogretail lunge at her with jaws wide. It reared its head for a killing bite. Raven rolled aside, and the Ogretail wound up with a mouthful of dirt instead. She took the opening and slashed again at the Ogretail. Her strike hit the beast directly in the front, and it finally collapsed. Raven quickly Devoured the fallen creature before it could stand again. She stood ready, scouting for any more nearby enemies. That was when she noticed another three Cocoon Maiden had seen her. She had accidentally wandered into their line of sight during the melee. The Aragami cried out and splayed their shells at her in alarm.

 _Fuck me..._ Raven growled in anger and blurted such a colorful string of cusses and epithets that Kota's face went bright red and he backed a few steps away. The Maidens responded by raising their buds, almost in unison.

"Oh, crap!" Kota started to back away, "Now what do we do?"

"Get the hell away from them, _that's_ what we do!" Raven back stepped several yards, readying her shield. The Maidens never fired their orbs though, instead, they continued to aim at them, growling in fury.

"Are... are we out of range or something?" Kota asked, "They aren't firing..."

 _So they have a limited range? Good. At least these damn dolls can't shoot that far. About time I heard some good news for a change..._ Raven turned over a shoulder to Kota, "The mission was to kill an Ogretail, right? Let's head for the drop-off. I'm worn out..." she stared down at her bloodied clothes with an irritated sigh, "and I could use another shower."


	10. Chapter 8: Game Changer

_Game Changer_

 _Three years ago..._

The sounds of battle echoed all around Falcon. She could hear the other God Eaters engaging groups of Aragami, as well as snipers picking off ones on the roof. It wasn't getting any better. In fact, the Aragami were rallying. The nearby Zygote cried out and retreated a little, leaving its simian cohort to thump its chest in a threat display.

The hall dead-ended up ahead, preventing her from retreating. She didn't want to retreat anyways. Falcon was feeling a mix of anger and helplessness about her situation: anger that she could not fight, and helplessness at her inability to do anything about it. Falcon wanted to join Ocelot in the defense, but her God Arc was still in the Shelter. Not to mention her Bias Factor was still in an unstable state; continuing to fight could have dire consequences. She could get Devoured, or worse: suffer an Aragami infection. All she could do for now was to pull Edge behind her and watch...

But all this standing by and watching was killing her!

Ocelot held his lance in an overhead stance as he squared off. "Lillia, take Yuuki and run for the bunker! I've got them!" Ocelot shouted over a shoulder.

"We have nowhere to run to. It's a dead end behind us!" Edge protested, "What do we do?!"

Ocelot turned back to the Aragami. "Stay back as far as possible and try to hide! Whatever you do, don't let them hit you!" As if on cue, the Kongou roared and charged forwards as the Zygote fired a poisonous orb. Ocelot splayed out his shield, adeptly blocking the Zygote's shot. With his shield deployed, he did not see the Kongou until it was right on top of him.

"Ocelot, fall back!" Falcon warned. He folded his shield and looked up, but was too late. Ocelot could not counter a point-blank punch. He was thrown back into Falcon. She could not hold her balance, and both of them crashed into Edge. All three of them fell on top of each other in a heap as the Kongou loomed overhead. She saw it cock its arm back for another blow.

Falcon moved quickly, and she didn't have the time to be nice about it. "Move!" Falcon shoved Edge out of the way just as the Kongou slammed its fist into both Ocelot and herself. She heard Edge shriek in a panic as the Kongou attacked. Ocelot took the worst of the hit because he was on top, but Falcon was still almost knocked out by its mighty strike. As the enemy reared back for a finishing shot, Ocelot dropped his Spear, sprung up, and grabbed the Aragami by its fist. Surprised, it tried to counter with its other hand. Ocelot's response was to grab that hand too. Now nearly disarmed, the Aragami thrashed and roared furiously. Ocelot somehow managed to hang on to the beast as it tried to escape his grasp. Ocelot braced his stance and threw the Kongou by its arms with an underhanded toss. It tumbled head over tail down the hall like a child's toy and crashed into the Zygote, briefly incapacitating both of them as they collided with each other at the far end of the hallway.

Falcon blinked several times, not quite sure what she just saw. Her surprise was momentary, and she saw her one chance to make a break for it. With the Kongou and the Zygote stunned, she could either run back to the Shelter and get her God Arc, or attempt to escape with Edge to the bunkers. She only considered the latter for a moment before her choice became clear. Even if she ran to the bunkers, she'd still be unarmed. What if these two monsters weren't the only ones who made it into Frostpeak? Or, what if the Aragami followed her? She might wind up leading them to the civilians. Falcon decided this was not something she could take a risk with.

"I'm going! Ocelot, protect Edge while I'm gone!" she shot to her feet and ran as fast as she could towards the Shelter.

"Hey!" Falcon heard Edge shout from some ways behind her, "How'd you get over there so fast?!"

 _That's a strange reaction,_ she thought. Falcon looked over her back to find both Ocelot and Edge gawking at her from down the hall. That was when she realized just how far she'd run in only a few seconds. What should have taken nearly thirty seconds at a full sprint only took her several seconds. Falcon decided to ignore this oddity for now. There would be time for thinking later; thinking would not get them out of here. She had to rearm herself, and fast.

 _As if responding to her thoughts, the Zygote whirled back upright and turned Falcon's way. She had to move_ _now_ _, or it might shoot her. Falcon turned and ran again as the Aragami screamed and gave chase behind her. Falcon would have preferred to take a few detours to elude the Zygote, but that would take time she did not have. She looked over her back to find that she was easily outrunning the Aragami. She was slightly confused by the discovery, but ignored it again as she refocused her attention on the task at hand._

 _Her mild distraction meant that she almost didn't stop in time to avoid running headlong into the Shelter door. Again, she was struck by how fast she managed to arrive here. She checked behind her and found that she had managed to ditch the Zygote somewhere. Though relieved to have lost her tail, she knew she had no time to lose. She wasted no time in retrieving her Scythe from where it still hung in the wall. Falcon had to will herself to ignore the chunk of decaying Kongou flesh still lodged in the blade. She turned and ran back down the hall to rejoin Ocelot and Edge at the dead-end._

 _When she arrived, Falcon could not restrain a gasp. Ocelot and Edge were still backed up against the wall. The Zygote had rejoined the Kongou and was firing toxic orbs as Ocelot desperately tried to protect Edge. He was succeeding, but he had no opening to attack. Falcon knew what she had to do. She readied her weapon and charged right for them._

 _"Rrrragh!" Falcon's battle-cry made both Aragami spin around. Ocelot and Edge looked equally surprised at her sudden appearance. Falcon slammed her weapon into the Zygote's body before it could do more than scream at her. The Aragami fell to the ground and did not get up. Ocelot seemed to recover from his shock immediately, and he lunged for the Kongou with a powerful thrust. Falcon did not see if he hit, because she was busy removing the Zygote's core. Judging by the furious roar, he'd hit. When she finished, Falcon looked up and saw Ocelot driving the Kongou backwards with multiple feints._

 _He was giving her a knowing look, and she instantly understood what he wanted from her. Falcon nodded once in acknowledgment, closed in from behind, and joined Ocelot in a scissor attack. Between her swing and Ocelot's lunge, the Kongou was skewered from the front and back at once. Falcon and Ocelot both tore their weapons loose as the beast fell at last._

 _"F...finally!" Falcon sighed in relief as she looked between the boys, "You two alright?"_

 _"I'm okay, but Ryo's not looking so good." Egde handed the senior God Eater some medicine from the medkit he was still carrying, "Here, take some of these and patch yourself up."_

 _"I'm not in bad shape, but thanks." Ocelot accepted the medicine from Edge and turned to Falcon. She blinked in surprise and gasped. Ocelot's torso and arms were covered in slashes and painful-looking bruises. His shirt hung in tatters across his wounded body, exposing the aftermath of his defense. A long slash had torn across his head, and blood was flowing down his face. Edge was downplaying things; Ocelot was in_ _awful_ _shape! Falcon felt a terrible pang of guilt that she couldn't get here sooner._

 _"Status report! What is the status of the assault?" Falcon heard her father's voice from her comm._

 _"This is Oni," Falcon heard her instructor answer, "I'm finishing up with a charged Chi-You. Orchid and a few of the others are running a perimeter check."_

 _"Ocelot here," Ocelot raised a hand to his comm and pressed the earpiece close, "no further threats detected in the facility. Two Aragami, a Zygote and a Kongou have been neutralized. What's the situation outside?"_

 _"I just_ _told_ _you what the situation is, you imbecile!" Oni barked back, "Clean out your ears and pay attention! The remaining Aragami are gone!"_

 _"Are the civilians safe?" Frost asked._

 _"The civilians are in the bunkers, but we did suffer one causality. One of the civilians was killed by a Kongou before we could stop it." Falcon answered, "Edge and Ocelot are with me."_

 _"Good work. I didn't expect you to perform so well so soon after your initiation." Falcon smiled proudly to hear her father's praise. To say it felt good would be an understatement! "Falcon, stand by and guard the survivors. Ocelot, get Edge to the sickbay. Treat your own wounds while you're there. We'll rendezvous in ten minutes to reevaluate our condition."_

 _"...Understood, sir." Falcon's good mood fell a notch. Sidelined again! How frustrating! At least she was able to prove her worth today._

 _"Idiot!" Ocelot gave Falcon an annoyed glare as he wiped some blood out of his eye, "What the hell were you thinking earlier? You_ _ditched_ _me!"_

 _"I can't believe this! How about some thanks, huh!?" Falcon scolded angrily. What was his problem!? "I just saved your ass, you ingrate! Is that how... you..." She was cut off by the increasingly horrified faces Edge and Ocelot were giving her._

 _"What?" She snorted and intensified her glare, still miffed at Ocelot's reaction to her arrival, but now she was wondering what was making them stare like that._

 _"L-Lillia!" Edge's eyes widened in horror and he pointed at Falcon, "Your...! Look at your God Arc!"_

 _ **Now**_ _what?_ _She wondered in annoyance. She followed Edge's pointing and was aghast at what she saw. Her God Arc had extended several thick cords around her right hand and arm. Where the vines touched her bare skin, she started to feel a painful burning sensation that was rapidly worsening. Shocked, Falcon tried to throw down her God Arc, but the lines from her God Arc bound the weapon to her hand._

 _"Ow, it's burning me!" she protested as she waved the weapon in a vain attempt to dislodge it, "What the hell?"_

 _"Lillia!" Edge ran to her side and lunged for the weapon._

 _"Don't touch it!" Ocelot warned, grabbing Edge by a shoulder, "It'll start on you too!"_

 _"Get off of me, you jerk!" Edge threw Ocelot off and grabbed hold of the Scythe. He recoiled in an instant as his hands touched the God Arc._

 _"Ouch! Damn!" he protested, "It burned me too!"_

 _"I_ _told_ _you not to do that, Edge!" Ocelot scolded, "It's trying to Devour her! It's out of control!"_

 _Edge balled his fists, "I can't just sit here and let that happen! What can we do?"_

 _"We'd normally restrain a berserk God Arc, but... I don't have one! Dammit!" Ocelot shook his head and looked away from Falcon._

 _"No... Lillia!" Edge's eyes widened, "I won't accept this! Is there nothing we can do?!" Falcon could see by the look on his face that he was angry, but helpless._

 _"Hold on, I'm on my way! Hiroshi, come_ with me immediately! Ryo, stand by and keep a careful eye on Lillia!" Frost ordered.

"U-understood sir! Standing by!" Ocelot affirmed, but the waver in his voice expressed the fear that his words did not. _Ocelot's pained face told her that he was furious at being powerless. She was on her own._

 _As she flailed her arm, her God Arc's grip loosened. Falcon grabbed it with her free hand and pried at the vines. As she touched the vines, they started to latch onto her left arm too. Tears of pain started to flow down her face as the pain increased. She gritted her teeth and redoubled her efforts. One by one, the vines fell away as she tore at them. Progress was slow and excruciating, but she was gradually succeeding. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she was able to free herself from her weapon._

 _The God Arc fell to the ground with a clatter as Falcon collapsed to her knees and screamed in agony. Where the God Arc's vines had grabbed her, black, scar-like brands were burned into her skin. The scars were also bleeding badly. The sting from her wounds was overwhelming; she couldn't stop shrieking in pain._

 _"Lillia!" Edge raced to Falcon's side, "Hold still! I'll help you!"_

 _"Be careful, Yuuki! Don't touch that God Arc!" Ocelot warned as he joined him._

 _Falcon was in too much pain to pay attention to what they were saying. She felt hands grab her arm and looked down. Edge was digging in the medkit again, searching for something. Ocelot was holding Falcon's arm tightly as he yanked his belt free. Using it like a tourniquet, he tightened it around Falcon's right bicep firmly. Her arm throbbed in protest, but the bleeding slowed. Falcon was starting to feel anemic and dizzy. Between the incredible agony of her injury and the blood loss, Falcon could feel her consciousness fading._

 _"Don't you dare faint on me, Lillia! Stay with me!" Falcon heard Ocelot's voice, but it was weak and distant. She looked up at him blearily. Ocelot had a horrible look of fury and desperation on his face that tore at her heart._

 _This... this was her fault, she realized. If she'd only listened to Ocelot and Frost, if only she hadn't been so blinded by ambition... no. this wasn't the time for self-pity. She had to fight, had to focus, had to live. But it was a battle she was losing, and she felt her grip on reality slipping. The last thing Falcon knew was the voices of her two best friends screaming her name. She thought she even heard her father calling out to her as the darkness finally overwhelmed her._

 **o-o-o-o-o**

 _She was becoming aware of something just at the edge of her detection... voices. She could hear voices in the pitch-black. They were insistent, distant, but nagging all the same._ _Shut up,_ _she thought,_ _just shut up and let me sleep..._ _Wait, sleep? Why am I sleeping? Where am I? What happened to me?_ _As her thoughts cleared slowly, her eyes drifted open. The glaring sight of pale metal walls greeted her eyes. She tried to move, and discovered her entire right arm was covered in thick bandages all the way up to her armpit. The gauze and dressings were soaked completely through with blood in places. Falcon noted this with detached bewilderment. Her body did not quite feel like her own. She felt like an alien in her own skin._

 _What's going on?_

 _As she wondered this to herself, Falcon remembered what happened. There was an attack at Frostpeak; Aragami had broken into the facility. She tried to defend her friends, then... then? What happened after that? Something about tentacles, black, burning vines... pain... As the memories came flashing back to her, so did excruciating pain in her right arm. It was enough to make her gasp and flinch as tears came unbidden._

 _"She's coming to!" a female's voice said from nearby, "Good. I was quite concerned." Falcon turned her head, moving only enough to move to the speaker. She didn't immediately recognize the brunette at her bedside, but her white coat and medical tools in her pockets marked her as one of Frostpeak's doctors._

 _"So, the transfusion was a success, just as I predicted." Falcon turned her head again to find Frost at her other side. He was holding her left hand in both of his, a concerned look on his usually stern face. Beside him, a very upset-looking Edge was wringing his hands. Edge looked like he was on the verge of tears. No, he was already crying. His red face and tear-streaked cheeks gave it away._

 _"Lillia!" Edge fell to his knees and burst into a fresh round of tears, "Oh, Lillia I'm so glad you woke up! You have no idea how scared I was when you wouldn't come around!"_

 _"Wha...?" She blinked a few times, trying to find the words to say, "What happened to me?"_

 _"You almost died, that's what happened!"_

 _"Yuuki. Go to your dorm and get some rest," Frost cut him off when Edge started to protest, "I let you stay on the condition that you get some rest when she woke up, if you recall. Go. That's an order."_

 _"Of course. Sorry sir." Edge bowed to Frost, then looked down at Falcon with a teary smile, "I'll come and visit you later if you want. Commander Frost says you need to rest, so I'll go for now. Get better, okay?" Edge turned and left the room, but not before casting one more glance over his back. Was it just her imagination, or did it look like he was conflicted just then? Maybe it was just her..._

 _She decided to get answers from Frost. "What happened?" she asked again._

 _Frost was quite for several long moments, long enough that Falcon felt uneasy. "I should start with the bad news. Starting immediately, you have been removed from active duty."_

 _"What?!" Falcon was so startled by this revelation that she sat up. Her sudden movement caused her arm to explode in fiery pain, and she collapsed back to the bed in agony._

 _"Don't get up yet. Let me explain..." Frost took a deep breath and continued, "Your God Arc attempted to Devour you. Normally, this would be a fatal condition, but it seems your God Arc suddenly stopped mid-Devour. That is what caused those wounds on your arm."_

 _"My God Arc... Devoured me?!" Falcon could only stare in disbelief at her right arm. How could this happen? That should be impossible with modern matching techniques... so why?_

 _"Yes, it tried to at any rate. Your body is still fighting rouge Oracle Cells even as we speak. This would've resulted in an Aragami infection, but I decided to try one last thing." Frost took a deep breath and looked Falcon in the eyes. "Ocelot has survived an Aragami infection before. With his permission, I took some of Ryo's blood and transfused it into you. I thought that maybe his antibodies would work against your infection too. You were very anemic from your wounds anyway, so it resolved two problems with one answer."_

 _Falcon laid there and let it sink in before she responded. "So... Ryo gave his blood to save me? Where is he? I want to thank him personally."_

 _"He's resting, as you should be. He gave a lot of blood and he's tired." Frost stood and held Falcon's hand for several more moments before letting her hand go. "You should rest too. Try to sleep. I know this is a lot to take in, but don't let it get you too down. I'll find a way to get you back on your feet, I promise." Frost turned to leave, then seemed to remember something, "Oh, before I forget to tell you, I have good news too."_

 _Really? Her mind was still buzzing from the bombshell Frost dropped, but she looked at him with curious eyes. "What is it?"_

 _"I have taken the chance to analyze your stats. Your Frostpeak potential is very unique. It seems you have two potentials. I need to do further research, but I have learned that your primary potential is an enhanced reaction time and speed. As for the second..." Frost seemed about to say something, but appeared to think better of it, "Never mind. I'll tell you when I have concrete evidence. Try and sleep, daughter. Come with me, doctor. We need to discuss Lillia's condition..." At that, Frost left, with the doctor trailing him._

 _Though Frost had suggested she sleep, Falcon was too bewildered to even consider it. First, there was the matter of her current state. She had not only been nearly Devoured, but apparently she was going through an Aragami infection! Apparently, a blood transfusion from Ocelot saved her life. Falcon made a mental note to thank him when she got the chance. And furthermore, she had two "potentials?" The speed was not such a surprise, in fact it made some of what happened earlier make sense. But there was a second one? What could that second talent be? Thoughts like these echoed in her mind for hours before her exhaustion finally caught up to her and she slept._


	11. Chapter 9: Razorbacks

_Razorbacks_

Raven yawned and slapped the beeping alarm clock beside her bed. It was seven in the morning, and the night had passed too quickly. At least Raven had a well-earned day off to herself. She was looking forward to toady. She'd debated just lounging for the day, but decided against just lazing about. Raven thought she'd go and visit Chidori.

In an odd way, Raven actually missed her old life. There was something predictable and mundane about the shop life that she missed. Well, maybe "predictable" and "mundane" were not exactly the right words to describe being a scrap peddler. That day she was recruited into Fenrir was one example of just how not-mundane a job like that really was. In reality, she'd just exchanged the danger of getting cheated, kidnapped, and murdered for the danger of getting eaten, torn apart, or infected by Oracle Cells. For her at least, there was no escaping danger one way or another.

At least that didn't have to be the case anymore for Chidori. Now that she had a steady income, Raven could provide for her mother. That was part of why she needed to visit Chidori today. Raven also felt a little homesick. It had been only just short of a week since leaving her old life in the Ghetto behind. To her, it felt like much longer since she'd seen her mother. Besides, she needed a little nostalgia.

Raven wasted no time in getting dressed. She decided on the outfit she wore in the Ghetto. It was comfy and familiar. She also took her machete and strapped it to her hip. Better safe than sorry, especially since she planned to leave her God Arc here for today. Next, she headed over to the cafeteria and got a quick breakfast. She wasn't in a rush, but Raven also didn't want to waste the day. As she left the cafeteria and went to the lobby, she saw Kota and an unfamiliar woman talking by the exit doors. The woman had short, dark hair and green eyes. She was dressed in a rather revealing green halter and a frilled green skirt with a long slit all the way up one leg. Raven noticed that she had a red armlet on her right wrist, marking the stranger as a fellow God Eater. Raven couldn't help being surprised: this woman hardly looked the part. When Raven approached the doors, both Kota and the stranger turned to her.

"Hey, 'sup buddy!" Kota waved enthusiastically to Raven, then seemed surprised. "Whoa, you look different today. Where're you going dressed like that?"

Raven nodded back a greeting as she approached. "I'm going out to visit my mother today, so I thought I'd wear my street clothes. Feels more natural." She glanced in the direction of the scantily-dressed woman, "Who's that?"

"You must be our newcomer. Good timing," the stranger said, "I wanted to come and find you before our mission tomorrow."

"Wait, what?" Raven was taken aback, "I didn't see anything about a mission…"

"Lindow just sent the mission guidelines a few minutes ago. He's coming too." She smiled kindly at Raven, "It's good to meet you, Amy."

"Call me Raven," she corrected with more annoyance than she'd meant to show. She was more than a little ticked that Lindow sent her a mission with no notice!

The woman nodded, seeming not to notice Raven's tone. "Very well. Raven it is. My name's Sakuya Tachibana. I'm a medic in the First Unit."

A medic huh? Raven guessed it would be a good idea to have someone like that along, especially on more dangerous missions. Raven nodded respectfully, "Good to meet you too, Sakuya."

Sakuya smiled in acknowledgment. "You have good manners. I read some of your bios on NORN, and I was a little worried you'd be..."

"A punk?" Raven finished with a slight glare, "I get that a lot."

"Well, I admit I thought you'd be a hardened street thug. I read that you've had a rough time. I know people have it hard out in the Ghetto, but still..."

"Hey, that stings Sakyua!" Kota protested, "Does that mean I'm a thug to you too?!"

Sakuya shook her head, seeming a bit sheepish, "Look at me, gossiping like that. Sorry. That was judgmental of me. I'm just glad you both seem nicer than your rep!"

Raven sighed, her good mood darkening. "Apology accepted. Now let me out."

"Oh, right. Sorry again," Sakuya stepped away from the doors, "I hope we can get along."

Raven looked at her. At least this Sakuya woman was sincere if nothing else. "We'll see. See you around." At that, Raven left for the Outer Ghetto, leaving the two God Eaters to exchange looks.

"Was it something I said?" she heard Sakuya ask.

"Probably. You did just call people from the Ghettos thugs. I'm going to go after her." was Kota's distant answer.

She heard footsteps approaching from behind as she maneuvered the streets and alleys towards the Ghetto. She wasn't in a particularly social mood, but she lacked the desire to stop Kota if he wanted to trail her.

"Hey! Raven, wait up!" Kota rushed up to Raven's side, "Are... are you angry?"

"A little. People who judge me before they even meet me are the worst," Raven said irritably.

Kota nodded sympathetically, "I know what you mean. I've seen the way people act around us, and it's aggravating. Don't let it get under your skin. Besides, I don't think Sakuya meant any offense."

Raven got the sense Kota was trying to apologize on Sakuya's behalf for some reason. Whatever. She didn't particularly care. Something about the conversation earlier had put her in a loner mood; she wasn't feeling up to a chat. "You didn't have to follow me. I'm not that upset. Go back to the base or something."

"I get it. I'll let you cool off. I was going to visit my family too. I promised Nozomi big bro'd come over today. I'll let you go. Stay safe, 'k? Later." At that, Kota took another path, headed west.

Raven, meanwhile, headed north towards the scrapyard. She checked her hip one more time for her machete, making sure it was securely in its sheath. Resting her left hand lightly on the hilt, she made her way through the familiar roadways. People moved in groups up and down the street, not wasting a moment lest they be targeted by thieves or gangs. Raven realized she was standing out, and quickly filtered into a nearby flock of passerby as she moved further north. The sounds of this place brought a smile to her face. The chatter of the pockets of beggars, the giggles of the playing children, and the crowing of the street vendors felt so nostalgic, like an anthem of the slums. Almost instantly, she felt herself becoming less God Eater Raven, and more scrap vendor Amy Hidaka again.

As Amy continued to walk to the scrapyard, people gradually broke from the herd until she was walking alone again. Amy was getting closer to Chidori's shop, and it was a dangerous part of town in an already dangerous neighborhood. This was underscored by a snippet of conversation Amy overheard.

"-ya 'ear me?! I says quit fightin', ya damn bitch!"

"Stop it! Leave my sister alone!"

"Shut it, twerp! Or I's kill ya, _and_ take dis lovely li'l thing!"

"I said stop it! I'll give you anything you want if you let her go!"

"Ugh, annoyin' li'l whelp. E's more trouble 'an e's worth."

"Den kill da idjit, but make sure 'e watches wot I's do ta 'is sis 'fore ya do!"

The familiar accent made the hair on the back of Amy's neck stand on end. It sounded like the same accent as the scavengers who tried to kill her last week, and what she heard sounded dire. She had to help!

Her grip tightened around her machete, fingers slipping the restraining straps from the hilt and freeing it for an easy draw. She had an awful feeling of what she was going to find, but she couldn't let those bastards just do as they please. She bolted in the direction of the shouting, pulling her machete free from the scabbard, but quite not fully drawing it just yet.

Amy rounded a corner and found a sight that chilled her blood. Two scavengers had cornered a pair of teenagers, and were violently assaulting them. One was hunched over a boy on the ground and was kicking and punching him brutally about the stomach and head. The boy was curled up in the fetal position, but the savage was unrelenting. He was electing to stomp on the kid's head when he guarded his belly, then pummel his midsection when he covered his head. The second thug had a girl pinned against the wall. He had one hand up her skirt and the other around her throat, hoisting her a few inches up in the air. The girl was desperately clawing at the highwayman's hands, but Amy could see she was no match for the burly brute.

Amy banged her machete loudly against the wall, startling the scavengers and making both look her way. "You!

"Oy! Stop that bitchin'!" the scavenger pinning the girl protested, "Can't a man finish 'ere!?"

The bruiser stood to his feet, cracking his knuckles. "Bugger off, ya bint. Dis ain't got nuttin' ta do 'ith ya."

Like hell it didn't! These animals needed to be stopped right now! "What the hell you fucking dogs think you're doing?!"

The rapist gave Amy a cruel smirk reminiscent of a snake, moving his hand further under the girl's skirt and making her squeak in protest. "Wot's it look like, princess? Wanna join me? I's pay well fer a strong, sexy lass like ya."

Pig. Amy changed her grip to a two-handed pose, glaring their way. "Get out of my way! Both of you! Run off, and I won't gut you like a fish!"

"Dumb bitch thinks she can threaten da Razorbacks, she does." Snake's vile grin darkened to a predatory smirk. "But she's cute fer an idjit. Wouldn't mind finishin' off with 'er."

Bruiser finally stopped trying to beat the boy long enough to stand, leaving his groaning victim groaning on the ground. "Well, well, well. Lookie wot we's got 'ere, eh? Crazy rat thinks she's a fuckin' tiger! Wot a joke!"

Amy waved her machete in fury. "Last chance! Fuck off and leave the kids, or both you maggots die!"

"Argh, can't gets off with dat hellcat'a screechin'! We's gets 'er too." Snake dropped the girl, who landed roughly on the ground on her butt. She coughed and clutched her throat, gasping for breath as she stared up in horror. "Jus' dun kill 'er yet. We's play with both of 'em, yeah?"

"Good idear!" Bruiser smirked at Amy, "I's gettin' lonely jus' watchin'. Now we's got enough ta share!"

"R-run..." the boy sputtered hoarsely, only to be cut off by another kick from Bruiser.

"Stuff yer gob!" Bruiser roared, "Wait yer turn an' watch 'ow it's done!"

At that, Bruiser and Snake charged Amy as one. Snake drew a machete from his back-sheath, and Bruiser pulled a pistol from out of his waistband. Amy was caught off guard by the sight of the gun. Guns were very rare, even more so around here. She doubted Bruiser had ammo, but she couldn't count on it. She had to act fast.

She decided to take out Bruiser first. Amy knew she could take a slash or two. She wasn't so sure she could survive being shot, God Eater or no. As she predicted, Bruiser took aim right at Amy's chest. She charged low into a shoulder-first ram. Amy's tackle struck Bruiser directly in the groin, and she heard him give an "Oof!" of pain. He fired a wild shot that she heard ping off the side of a building. She grabbed hold of Bruiser's legs and threw him to the ground with ease. Amy was more than a little stunned at how easily she overpowered the hulk. Maybe becoming a God Eater had given her super strength?

"C'mere bitch!" Snake cursed and leaped on Amy's back while she was caught off guard. Amy screamed and spun as she tried to shake the man.

Snake's reaction was to slide his machete under her chin. "Ya wanna die? Keep strugglin'."

Amy froze, pretending to be helpless. She heard Snake chuckle triumphantly behind her and say something lewd to Bruiser. Then, she bent over, threw Snake over her shoulder, and slammed him to the ground as hard as she could. Amy could hear the snap of several bones as the brute hit the pavement. He rolled and howled in pain as he clutched his right leg, which was now bent at an unnatural angle at the knee.

"Damn... you...!" Snake growled, then uttered another foul string of curses as he nursed his leg.

Bruiser finally rolled to a crouch, and Amy heard the click of the gun's hammer being cocked. She bared her machete, but she knew her blade would be powerless against a gun.

Bruiser just smirked and aimed the gun at her head. "Ya gots balls, lil girly, brass balls. Ya thinks ya can jus' tell a Razorback wot ta do?! Na, we tells _ya_ wot ta do! Now on yer knees, bitch!"

Amy thought fast as she slowly got to her knees. This was bad, very bad! As long as Bruiser had that gun, she was outclassed at this range. _Maybe_ she could throw her machete, but even that was a gamble. If he saw her make a move first, he could kill her right then. Maybe if she complied, he'd come closer. Or, maybe not. Bruiser seemed smarter than Snake: he was keeping his distance from Amy. It looked like that trick she pulled with Snake wasn't going to work on Bruiser.

Bruiser nodded in satisfaction, "Good, good lassie. Now, puts yer sword down right in front of ya. An' don' try nuttin' funny or I's blast ya inta next week!"

Amy looked around, desperately trying to find something she could do. She saw the girl shaking in the shadows, curled up in a fearful ball in the corner of the alley behind a trash can. That was when Amy noticed the boy was missing.

She didn't have the luxury of searching for him, as Bruiser fired a warning shot at Amy's feet that made her jump and land on her butt. "I says put yer sword down, ya idjit!"

A notion struck her just then. Maybe the boy was able to escape! Hopefully he was going to get help. She just had to bide her time and pray Bruiser didn't lose patience. Amy slowly complied, laying her machete down at her feet.

A sudden noise from the other end of the alley made Bruiser look over his shoulder. Amy saw her one chance, and bull-rushed the thug. He only had the time to point the pistol at her again before Amy was upon him like a bulldozer. She rammed him with all her might into the wall. Once again, Amy heard bones crack as Bruiser screamed in pain. Amy threw her entire weight into an uppercut and hit Bruiser in the chin, sending his head snapping back like his neck was made of rubber. He slumped motionless to the ground, and Amy turned to her last remaining foe.

"Ya's a demon! I demon I says! Lemme go! A bit o' ass ain't worth dis! Spare me! I's treat ya nice like! Real nice!" Snake begged, scuttling on all fours down the alley and dragging his broken leg behind him like a wounded dog.

Amy's fury had not been sated yet. She was still out for blood. These cockroaches were trying to kill her those kids! As much as she hated it, there could be no room for pity. Mercy would only be repaid with betrayal in this hellhole. This was the way scavengers think. She kicked his good leg out from under him, making Snake collapse with a yelp.

She stood on his back with one foot and yanked both arms behind his back. "Not today, dog. You fucked up big time. I'm holding you right here until the guard shows up."

"Don't bother," Amy looked up at the new voice and saw Chidori walking down the alley as if on a Sunday stroll, "His kind don't rehab. He's nothing but a parasite. Parasites have no place here."

"Bwaah?!" Snake squealed, "Chidori Hidaka! Oh bugger me, I's gonna die ain't I?!"

Chidori grabbed the thug by his neck, lifting him into the air, "What do you think?! You honestly think you can do something like that and live?!"

"Da... Razorbacks'll... get... 'cha... fer... dis...!" Snake sputtered, "Revenge...!"

Chidori replied with a stab to Snake's stomach, dropping him as she finished the swing. She wordlessly turned from the dying criminal and came to Amy's side. "Amy! Are you alright?!"

"I'm okay... I think." Amy checked herself over, but to her surprise found no serious injuries.

Chidori threw her arms around her daughter and said, "We have to stop meeting up like this." She pulled back and asked, "Now why the hell did you pick a fight with a scavenger gang this time?"

"They were attacking two kids. One was trying to rape a girl and the other was beating up a boy. I think they both ran and hid during the fight." Amy said as she looked about. She could see the terrified girl still shaking in the corner with her knees drawn to her chest. The boy was nowhere in sight.

Amy slowly approached the girl. Now that she saw her better, Amy could see that she was around her age, maybe slightly younger. The blonde girl's green eyes were sparkling with tears, and one of her twintails had fallen out. Her clothing was torn, and she had lost her shoes somehow. This poor girl looked like a beggar in this state.

"You okay?" Amy asked gently, "Did he...?" The girl silently shook her head no, but didn't say a word.

"It's over?" A male voice from nearby asked. Amy turned in a start, and saw the battered boy's head pop out from under a cardboard box. He looked quite similar to the girl, but his eyes were blue not green. He also looked a bit younger than her, but had a similar facial build. Amy guessed these two were probably siblings.

"They won't bother you two anymore. You're safe." Amy's words earned a sigh of relief out of the girl. The boy crawled out from under the box, and Amy could now see the extent of his wounds. His face was swollen, and he had a severe black eye. Blood was seeping through his clothes, staining his white t-shirt red. Judging from the way he held himself, he might also have some broken bones as well.

"I saw everything!" The boy almost whispered in awe, "You were a total badass! You owned those gangsters so hard!"

Amy smiled, "I'm just glad you two are alive."

"Wait a second...!" The boy suddenly caught sight of Amy's armlet. "You're a God Eater?!" His eyes widened in amazement and his jaw dropped when Amy nodded in acknowledgment. "No way! Maya, check this out! We got saved by a _God Eater!_ " The tone he used was nearly idolizing. A mix of awe, amazement, and utter astonishment was pasted on his face. His companion, who he called Maya, seemed stunned as well, but also a little afraid.

She ducked behind the boy, clinging to his shoulder timidly. "A God Eater..." she spoke softly, stating the first words since Amy met her, "I can't believe it! A real God Eater saved us, Noah!"

Amy scratched her head sheepishly, "Hey, cut that out. I'm nothing special. I just saw those men harassing you two and I had to help."

Chidori slapped Amy across the back. "Ha, look at the hero! So modest! You'll get a fan-base before long if you keep those antics up. You might also earn an early grave. Remember that not a lot of people out here really like Fenrir."

"I know." Amy said, slightly deflated.

"But enough of that. I think that kid's hurt bad. Let's get the kids to the shop." Chidori reached for Noah, but he pulled away.

"I can't impose like that. You two saved me once. I owe you too much already! C'mon Maya, let's get home. I still gotta make dinner." Noah tried to walk ahead, but he wobbled off course and stumbled into Amy.

She caught Noah by the shoulders. "Where do you think _you're_ going? You can barely walk!"

"I'm... fine..." Noah started to waver on his feet again. Amy helped him to the ground as a worried Maya knelt down.

"Noah!" she said with worry lacing her voice.

"I'll be fine... don't worry, sis." Noah struggled out.

 _So I was right,_ she thought, _they **are** siblings. No wonder they look almost alike! Poor Maya must be worried sick to see her brother like this..._

"I'll go get a medic. Stay with those kids, Amy!" Before she even finished her sentences, Chidori was already running down the alley. Amy looked back to Maya, who was holding Noah's hand in hers.

"It's gonna be okay, got it Maya? Mom's getting help. I won't go anywhere until she gets back, alright?" Maya nodded silently, but she didn't say anything again. Amy got the sense that Maya was shy, timid, or maybe just scared. Amy wouldn't fault her for being scared. Those men tried to do some awful things to her and her brother. They were both lucky Amy was able to fight the thugs off. Footsteps interrupted her thoughts. Amy looked up to find Chidori returning with a doctor racing behind her.

"They're over here!" Chidori shouted, "C'mon, move your ass, white-coat!"

"I'm doing my best, Ms. Hidaka!" the medic protested as he struggled to keep up.

The medic rushed over to Amy and Noah, already preparing a portable stretcher from his bag. "I need a hand. You two, can you ladies help me?"

"Of course. Maya?" Maya nodded and quietly began helping Amy with the setup. Once the stretcher was assembled, Amy gently helped Noah onto it. He painfully dragged himself onto the stretcher and looked at Maya before breaking eye-contact.

"I'm sorry. I guess I got hurt worse than I thought..."

"Why are you sorry?" Amy said, "You should consider yourself lucky! If I hadn't come along when I did, you'd probably be dead!"

Noah nodded slowly. "You're right. I gotta pay you back someday, I swear it! What's your name?"

"I'm Amy. Amy Hidaka."

Noah smiled. "Amy Hidaka... I'll never forget this, Amy! My name's Noah, Noah Walker, and that's my sister, Maya. Even if it takes me a thousand years, I'll pay you back! I swear it!

Amy's smile broadened. Noah was nothing if not enthusiastic! "For now, just swear not to overdo it. Focus on getting better. I'll cover your bill, so you can relax. It's the least I can do."

Noah's eyes widened and he gasped in amazement, "What, really!?" When Amy nodded in reply, Noah's jaw dropped yet again. "I... that's...!" Noah sputtered and made unintentional fish-faces as he tried to speak.

"Think nothing of it. Just get better, okay? I live nearby, so maybe we'll see each other again soon." Noah nodded his acknowledgment as the doctor and Maya carried the stretcher off.

Chidori folded her arms. "I'll be damned. I had no idea you were so good with kids!"

"I don't think he's that much younger than me. He's not really a 'kid' to me." Amy answered.

"Well, let's get the hell out of the alley. I'll make my report later today. The medics will report all this soon anyways." Chidori was already walking out of the alley with Amy close behind. Amy couldn't wait to catch up and forget what happened. But thinking of the thugs, Amy couldn't help getting a sense of foreboding about them. They had the same accent as the scavengers who tried to rob her last week. That couldn't be a coincidence... could it?


	12. Chapter 10: Confinement

_Confinement_

 **Three years ago…**

Six days had passed since the assault on Frostpeak, and the injury that nearly cost Falcon her life. The wounds to her arm had healed, leaving trails of tendril-like black scars down her right arm. She felt she had fully recovered, but she still had not been allowed to even leave the infirmary, much less return to duty. In fact, once the wounds had healed, she had been placed in an isolation room at the back of the bay. She was not even allowed to get her uniform from her room. She was stuck in here, feeling like a caged animal. It was as if the others were worried about something and wouldn't explain to her why. That bothered her greatly.

Every day prior to this had been spent training and studying, so it felt creepy and weird to her, being left with literally nothing to do. She had not seen any visitors, save her father and the doctors. Every time she tried to leave, she would be ushered back to her room. Nobody would tell her exactly why she was not allowed even a stroll around the facility. Falcon only got vague answers such as "We cannot say," or "Just focus on resting," or other deflecting bullshit.

And the worst part was that she learned nothing that answered any of the questions still plaguing her mind. Why was she still being kept here? How come nobody was allowed to even visit? There weren't even any windows in this room. It felt to Falcon like she was being jailed for a crime she didn't commit.

And what the hell was even going on? She would try to eavesdrop on the hushed conversations, try to glean at least some clue, but they were keeping a cautious vigil of silence. It was almost like they were deliberately hiding the truth from her, and Falcon was getting frustrated with all the secrecy. Why wouldn't anyone even give her even a damn clue about her situation? They knew something that she did not, she was sure of it. She just had to learn what, that was the trick.

Falcon drew her legs up under herself as she pulled herself to a sitting position. She had so many questions, but not even one answer. She grabbed her tablet from the table beside her bed and opened the instant messenger. At least she wasn't completely cut off from the outside world, but nobody had answered any of her message requests since she was hospitalized. She decided to try one more time in hopes someone, anyone, would respond. Previously, she included only her close friends, Orchid, Mink, Ocelot, and Edge as well as Frost. This time, she felt desperate enough to expand the request to the entire mailing list. She even included Oni, though she hesitated a moment at the idea of it. Even the "demon" of Frostpeak would be welcome company. She was that desperate.

 _"This is Lillia, 'Falcon' Akiyama. I've been holed up in the sick bay for almost a week now. Nobody will let me out or tell me why I'm still here. Can somebody please come to the infirmary and clue me in? Or even just email me back? If anyone receives this, reply ASAP!_

 _P.S. Don't ignore this!"_

Falcon's finger hovered over the "Send" button when she heard the doorknob jiggle. Her head snapped up and she nearly dropped her tablet.

 _A visitor! Whoever it is, I'll make them talk. They think they can cage me up. I'll show them!_ Falcon was hellbent on getting answers, even if she had to do something drastic like block the door or fight for an answer. She would do it if that was what it took for her to learn the truth.

Falcon blinked in complete surprise to see Ocelot's head pop around the door. Her determination was replaced with an astonished stare his way. He smiled briefly at her, then looked over his back. Ocelot crept in and pulled the door shut behind him, taking care not to create any noise. Seeming satisfied at the relative privacy, he gave Falcon one of his trademark grins.

"What's up, sicko? Thought I'd drop in and say hi." Ocelot's playful tone said one thing, but his actions seemed nervous. He kept glancing back at the door as if expecting someone.

"Ryo!" Falcon was so happy to finally have cooperative company that she nearly yelled in delight.

Ocelot flinched, "Hey, shush!" Ocelot shot another look to the door, then back to Falcon. "I'm not supposed to be in here you know. Keep it down or they'll find me."

"Sorry for shouting," Falcon replied, lowering her voice to a far quieter tone, "I'm just so glad to see you!"

Ocelot shot her a smile, "Me too. I wanted to see how you took to the transfusion, but I was on bed rest for two days. Then they kept feeding me bullshit when I tried to visit. You're too sick, you're on bed rest, blah, blah, blah…" Ocelot was making mocking hand gestures as he spoke with a tone oozing sarcasm.

His smile became mischievous and Ocelot threw Falcon a wink. "So, I took matters into my own hands. What're they gonna do if they catch me, put me in solitary? Like you?"

That Ocelot was never one to stay serious long. Falcon could not help chuckling back but thinking on what he said dropped her mood slightly. "Thanks to you, I'm doing much better. Thanks for saving my life.

Ocelot grinned and waved a hand at her, "Hey, don't sweat it. I'm just glad you're alive."

Falcon smiled back, then shifted her eyes briefly to the door. Ocelot's wariness was contagious. Apparently, she was not the only one being kept in the dark. She had one chance to learn more, and she did not want to waste it. "At least they let you go free. They've kept _me_ locked up like a rabid animal. What happened?"

Ocelot sat on the foot of the bed and ran made a sour face. "That's the question I keep asking. I'm not getting very clear answers though." He sighed in exasperation, running a hand through his hair. "I'll answer what I can for you, but I'm not even sure where to begin..."

Falcon sat up straight and asked, "First things first, why won't they at least let me have visitors? It's bad enough being stuck on bed rest, but they've put me in total isolation…"

"I have an idea, but I only know a little for sure." Ocelot was silent for a while, seeming to debate something. "How much do you remember about last week, Lillia?"

Falcon tried to recall, but her memory was less than reliable about that event. "If you mean the attack on Frostpeak, then everything up to the part where my God Arc tried to Devour my arm."

"Okay, then I'll start from there," Ocelot continued as he skittishly looked to the door yet again, "You probably know that God Arc of yours did a number on you. Not only did it do, well... _that,_ " he gestured to her right arm, which Falcon rubbed self-consciously, "apparently it also infected you. But that's not the weirdest part. The really strange thing is that you also infected it right back!"

"Wait, what?!" Falcon was not sure she heard him right. She had her suspicions about undergoing an Aragami infection already, but how the hell could a human infect a God Arc? That made no sense.

"I know right?" Ocelot gave another glance to the door before turning back to Falcon. "Aki said this is the first time he's ever seen a God Arc get infected by its wielder's Oracle Cells. He also kinda told me it was supposed to be a secret. Only me, Aki, Edge, Frost, and now you know about this. The bigwigs don't want this becoming common knowledge, so keep it on the down-low, got it?"

Falcon was stunned speechless but managed a nod. She knew the "Aki" Ocelot was talking about: the facility's mechanic Akira Yamamoto. He was Edge's older brother, and a God Eater as well. Like most of Frostpeak's graduates, Aki had his own power. Apparently, he could resonate at will with and speak with any God Arc, almost like he was one with them. He also had the bizarre ability to split his God Arc into two smaller Arcs and recombine them at will. Because of his unique understanding of God Arcs, Aki was assigned as Frostpeak's mechanic. Since there were mostly guards and a few raid units permanently stationed at Frostpeak proper, there weren't too many God Arcs to maintain. Aki also did a lot of work with the training Arcs as well. Falcon had visited him many times to discuss configurations and bullet recipes. She knew him well.

But if he said there was a problem like that, then why didn't anyone just tell her that her God Arc was infected? Or that _she_ was infected by her Arc, for that matter? Why the secrecy? This was not small news.

Before she could ask the questions, Ocelot continued, "Crazy, huh? But it gets worse, I'm afraid. Frost's worried that you might be suffering an Aragami infection. There's been talk about what exactly to do about you. There's even a whisper or two about…" Ocelot stopped mid-sentence and seemed pained. It was almost like he could not bring himself to say it.

He did not need to. Falcon knew damn well what Ocelot was talking about. There was an unspoken policy all God Eaters here knew: to kill a fellow God Eater if their implant failed, or if they were infected. It was important to act without hesitation before they became a deadly Aragami. It was not a subject anyone liked to even consider let alone discuss. Falcon knew enough to read between the lines.

"Killing me," she finished with more than a hint of anger.

Ocelot hung his head. "Yeah. Apparently, you're 'unstable' and some of the officers want to take preventative measures before you turn into a monster…"

"No!" Falcon pounded a fist on the bed, "I'm still me, dammit! I'm not a fucking Aragami! I'm human!"

"I know! They want to just kill you!" Ocelot balled both fists and took a deep breath, barely able to contain his growing anger, "This whole thing is fucked up! How can they even think about killing you like that?! This is such bullshit!"

Damn straight. Falcon took a second to temper her own anger a bit, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. "Yeah, really. Sorry for shouting, but I'm..."

"Angry?" Ocelot finished, "Don't be sorry. I'd be pissed off too if I were in your position. I can't stand being so fucking helpless here..."

"Any _other_ secret murder plans?" Falcon growled sarcastically.

Ocelot's face became a little pained. "I'm sorry, but that's all I know about that. I wish there was something I could do, but they've got our hands tied. I had a damn hard time just sneaking in here. I don't think I can do anything more without drawing attention from brass…"

"You've already cleared up a lot of it. I still want to know more. I have to find Frost, and I'll make him tell me the truth!" She glared at the door, now even angrier than before. How could this be true? If they really _were_ thinking about killing her, then why the hell hadn't anyone at least told her?! And the fact that everyone seemed to know more than she did about her condition was just infuriating! Frost _must_ know something more. She had to find him.

She did not have to search for him, because Frost suddenly appeared in the doorway. Falcon was so surprised by her father's arrival that she just stared at him in a stupor for a few moments. Ocelot's reaction was more animated; he got wide-eyed and scrambled to his feet. "Sir, I can explain sir!" he blurted, stiffening to his full height.

"At ease, Ocelot. I knew you were in here. I am not here to discipline you." Frost gestured to Falcon, who was also staring, but now with a hardened, angry look on her face. Her surprise was only momentary, and now she was furious. She wanted answers. Now.

"Frost." She said crisply and failed to hide a nasty note of ire. It was taking her all she had not to scream and rush him in ire. How dare he hide all this from her! She would make him tell her exactly what's going on. She swung her legs over the bed, intending to force the truth out of Frost.

"Lillia, please don't strain yourself. Calm down-"

 _Oh, that does it!_

"Calm down?" Falcon shot out of bed and almost knocked Ocelot off his feet as she shot past him to within inches of her father's face. She balled her fists as her fury peaked, "Calm down!? How the fuck am I supposed to 'calm down!?' You were talking about killing me! Ryo told me everything! How dare you tell me to just _calm down_!"

Frost shook his head and continued, "No, he only gave you half of the story. This is exactly why I wanted to wait to tell you about your condition…"

"Don't you dare keep lying to me!" she shouted as she swept an arm at him, "This is my life on the line here! Am I going to become a monster? Am I going to die?! I want answers! Explain!" Frost remained cool and said nothing for a while. Falcon could see a subtle note of sadness on his face that put her off her anger a bit. She was slightly chagrined at the intensity of her own outburst, but not enough to back down. Falcon was shaking in anger and fear. She'd make her father talk one way or another. She wasn't liking his guarded reaction though.

Frost paused, waiting for Falcon to calm down a moment longer before continuing. "I assume Ryo told you about why you're here, right?"

It was times like this that Falcon was particularly amazed by Frost's ability to remain cool in any situation. Seeing him remain calm even when she screamed in his face made her realize that she needed to take down her intensity a little.

Falcon took a deep breath to rein in her anger a notch and recapped, "Yes. He told me that I'm infected with cells from my God Arc… and that you are thinking about killing me!" Her anger rose again at the last part. She deliberately left out what Ocelot told her about Falcon infecting the God Arc in return. Ocelot said that Aki wasn't even supposed to have told him that part, so she kept quiet about it.

Frost nodded. He looked her in the eyes as he spoke and tried to hide a brief pained face. It was more than enough to give Falcon a terrible feeling. She could guess what he was about to say.

"All of that is true. You are undergoing a severe Aragami infection, Lillia. You are very unstable." Frost broke eye-contact. "And some of my fellow commandants were indeed discussing terminating you. That is the standard protocol for situations like this."

"I knew it!" Ocelot's eyes went wide, and he stared at Falcon. "Lillia, this is the worst. Are you going to just sit there?! You gotta say something!"

Falcon had no reply. She was stunned numb by Frost's words. She knew that Ocelot said it was a possibility that she was infected, but hearing Frost say it too made it feel like a firm death sentence. Falcon looked at her arm and traced her hand over the scars, the scars that now marked the end of her brief life. This was it. She was going to turn any time. Now it made sense why she was under such strict quarantine. Frost was going to kill her. She was so conflicted with emotion that she could not even speak for a long while.

When she finally regained her voice, what came out was rather bitter, "So, this is how it ends for me: caged like a mad dog waiting to be put down…"

Falcon raised her eyes and shot a glacial stare to her father. Numbness now replaced her earlier wrath. Years of training could not have prepared her for facing a God Eater's worst fear. Now that it was happening to her, she was angry, upset, frustrated, and scared all at once. She wanted to run away, or cry hysterically, or scream at the sky, or maybe just cuss up a storm and punch him. No one emotion would fully come, leaving her conflicted and numb instead. Sheer stupor overwhelmed Falcon and she stared at the floor dumbly once more. Feeling suddenly drained, she slumped to the bed and struggled to bite back tears.

Nobody said anything for a while. Frost finally replied, "Your case is a very unusual one, Lillia. Normally, an Aragami infection of this magnitude would have been already fatal. Your condition is severe, but you are still alive. That warrants further observation. That is why-"

Falcon raised her head and met her father's eyes. She was getting sick of being told contradictory information. "You said I'm turning, but now you say that I'm not? Which is it?!"

Frost broke eye contact, frowning at the floor. That reaction made Falcon confused again. He kept cracking, and that was not like the usually stoic Frost at all. "Lillia, it's not a simple matter. Like I said, you are very unstable. Your body is fighting off an Aragami infection even as we speak. That is why you are being kept here. It's for your safety... and for ours."

Falcon screamed in desperation, unable to hold back her emotions anymore, "But I'm not an Aragami! I'm human! Just look at me for any proof you need! I'm still a _human,_ damn you! I've been through this training all my life, and now my life ends with me just waiting to die?! Bullshit!"

Falcon buried her face in her hands as tears fell unhindered. She screamed, "Why the hell is nobody listening to me?!"

"Lillia..." She felt Ocelot put a hand on her shoulder. "I-"

"Get _off_ me Ryo," she slapped his hand aside, "and don't say you know what I feel. You don't. Neither of you do. I don't want to hear it."

Ocelot bit his lip and made a face. "Just listen to me. I really do get it, you don't want to be here in this little room. I know the feeling."

Falcon said nothing in return and kept fuming in despair. What nonsense. Why would Ocelot know what she was going through? If Ocelot wanted to keep saying useless fake platitudes, she wasn't going to stop him. She also wasn't going to humor him by replying.

When silence was his answer, Ocelot continued, "Did you know they did the same thing to me when my initiation went sideways? They locked me up, just like this. No matter what I did or said, I was basically a prisoner. Frost told me it was 'for my own good,' so I've heard his line before. How do you think I knew how to find you in here? It wasn't just a wild guess, Lillia. It's because I've been there myself."

Now that was something she didn't expect him to say. Falcon looked up at him with teary eyes. Now she felt kind of scummy for assuming. All she could say to that was, "W-what?"

Ocelot put a hand gently on Falcon's shoulder again, "You're mad, I get it. I totally get it. They told me I might be terminated too. You better believe I was pissed-off when I thought I was going to be executed for the mere crime of surviving. As trite as it sounds, I _do_ get what you're feeling because I felt the same way."

"Ryo…" Falcon couldn't find the words to say. Of course he would know—he had gone through a similar situation not that long ago. She felt very stupid and superficial for not thinking about that.

"I never wanted this for you, Lillia," Frost said with a slight waver in his voice, "Were it in my power to do so, I'd see you healthy and free to leave, but I cannot allow the chance of you going wild. Please try to understand…"

 _Understand? Yeah, right. How the hell am I supposed to "understand" this?_

Falcon did not know what to do or say. Her anger had simmered to a resentful despair, and she was too miserable to snark about it. Nobody said anything for a long while, darkening Falcon's mood further. Everything she had trained for, all the hard work and drills and finally becoming a God Eater—now it ended like this. It seemed like she was going to be stuck in here for the rest of her life.

"What am I supposed to do?" Falcon finally asked again, "Am I just going to be locked up until I turn? Or just until I die of boredom?"

"What do you think of her doing remote telemetrics, Sir? She could do at least that much from here, right?"

Falcon looked up at Ocelot's sudden interjection. What was he talking about? "Telemetrics?"

Frost seemed to light up slightly. "Telemetry... good thinking, Ocelot. I need to run that by my colleagues first, but I like that plan."

"Telemetrics?" Falcon asked again, "What's that?"

Frost smiled slightly at Falcon, "Remote telemetry means you would oversee and direct missions. You would be responsible for organization, deployment, exfiltration, and general tactics on missions. You would then report your observations to commanders such as myself."

"That means you'll be our strategist," Ocelot added, "Frostpeak's first operator! Good idea, right?"

Falcon was speechless. An operator? Falcon hadn't even considered that option. Frostpeak never really had a need for an operator because the guard units rarely deployed beyond the mountain range. There was little need for long-range oversight in those situations. She would not see the front lines and may never see combat again. But this was something she could do, something that was _not_ just sitting in bed fuming at the world. Even being an operator was far better than nothing.

"I'd love to," Falcon said eagerly and looked to Frost pleadingly, "Please train me right away!"

Frost smiled gently at her. "You are nothing if not excitable. I need to finalize some details, but consider it done. You will begin operator training starting tomorrow."

Falcon could barely contain herself. "So, I get to leave!?"

Frost shook his head bringing Falcon's mood down slightly, "No, but you can assist from here all the same."

"Anything I can still do is more than what I've been good for the past week," Falcon was determined not to let that setback stop her and straightened herself up. "I am ready whenever you are, sir."

Frost's smile turned into a chuckle and he ruffled Falcon's hair a little. "Wait one more day, Lillia. Tomorrow is the start of your training. For now, you should rest and prepare, understood?"

Falcon nodded vigorously, "Yes sir!"

"Then it is decided. You're such a hard worker, my daughter. It makes me so proud to see you want to keep serving in your condition."

"I'd rather be fighting like I trained for," Falcon admitted, "but I'll accept this much for now. One day, I want to fight again. It's literally what I was born to do."

Falcon saw a brief, strange expression cross Frost's face on her last sentence. As quickly as it appeared, it was replaced by Frost's usual stoic expression. "You'll make a fine operator, Lillia. I'll be counting on you."

Falcon nodded once somberly. "I will give it my all."

At her last words, Frost turned to Ocelot. "Ryo. It's time to leave. I'll let your behavior slide this once, but you cannot be in here like that again. You should understand this better than most."

Ocelot nodded. "Right. I'll return to my drills. Thank you for letting me at least see her. But can you do me a favor and let Lillia use her email? She's very lonely being here all alone."

"If the training plan is approved, I will do that. Until then, I cannot. I need you to understand that this is for everyone's sake, including Lillia's."

"Sir." Ocelot affirmed with a single nod, seeming miffed at Frost's dismissal.

"Good. Now come with me. You need to undergo some tests before I can release you for today." Frost grabbed Ocelot by a shoulder and started to lead him out of the room, amid his protests at the testing.

Just before shutting the door, Frost turned over his back at Falcon. "You remind me of your mother. She was so tough, just like you. Make us proud—I know she's watching from up above."

"Father… er, sir!" Falcon caught herself, "I'll be the best operator Frostpeak's ever had! You'll see!"

Frost gave her another small smile, "That's what I wanted to hear. Now rest up, my daughter. Tomorrow is going to be a tough day after being rusty for a week. Make sure you are mentally fit."

Falcon nodded happily—she was looking forward to tomorrow for the first time in what felt like forever. Falcon saluted with a smile of her own as her father shut the door behind him. She was alone once more, but now she felt a new hope that made her condition seem a little less bleak. Even if she did eventually turn, she could still do something with what was left of her life. Who knows, maybe she could even return to the field one day.


End file.
